Chapter 13
Waking up next to Draco was surreal. It was true, that we had shared a bed before, but since what we had done before was such a different… activity; it was a completely different experience. Not only did we sleep in his bed for once, but also I actually woke up before him. His arms were loosely wrapped around my waist and his mouth was slightly open. His left arm was slung under my neck when I noticed something strange. He had no dark mark, though where it should have been, or had been, the skin looked slightly raw, as if it had been scrapped against sand paper. I ran a finger of it and felt Draco stir behind me.
“Hey,” I whispered over my shoulder. He kissed me on the neck instead of a greeting. “Can I ask you a personal question?” He growled.
“Maybe,” he murmured.
“What happened to your…” I hesitated. I didn’t want to offend him. “Your dark mark?” He shifted slightly, but I knew he would answer. I rolled over to face him. Revulsion conquered his face as I grazed my thumb over it. Guilt pulsed below his skin, and I could feel nervous tremors below my touch. It just reminded me how little I actually knew about him and his past. He shared most of himself with me, but his time as a death eater remained a mystery to me. I didn’t want to rush him; I just wanted to be sure that he would come to me when he was ready.
“When he died it burnt off.” That explained why it looked so raw. “It literally caught fire, probably as some kind of punishment. It hasn’t improved at all since… you know.” I nodded, then crooked my neck down and kissed his ragged skin. Almost instantly new skin began to grow over the burn, sealing the wound perfectly, until you could never tell the skin had been broken. Even a small patch of arm hair grew quickly over the place where the mark had been. I looked up and met Draco’s curious and surprised gaze. Giggling, I rolled on top of him and kissed him, gently sliding my tongue into his mouth. Pulling away I said,
“Love is the greatest magic.” We kissed again, and I loved being so connected to someone.
“I do love you, you know,” he repeated. He wrapped his arms around me and carefully twisted me so that my back was to his front and we were facing the ceiling. I rested my head in the crook of his neck and sighed wistfully. This was the perfect moment.
“I know you do.” I imagined waking up like this every morning, possibly even hearing the little pitter patter of children’s feet on the floor. That was what was so good about Draco. I could imagine growing old with him. That was why I didn’t worry about the risks. I just didn’t care. “So what so you want to do today?” He paused to think and nibbled on my ear playfully.
“I want to go shopping for something in town.”
“Want me to come with you?” His answer came quickly, too quickly in fact.
“No, no, I want it to be a surprise.” He squeezed me tightly. “You want to go out for dinner tonight?”
“Okay, my dad wants to check out that new Italian place.”
“I meant just us.” My suspicions rose. What was he up to?
“Okay.” I breathed in the scent of him. It was the smell from Professor Slughorn’s classroom, my guess had been correct. There was no word that could describe how I felt. I had found my soul mate, it was just too perfect. Then again, nothing could be too perfect. “When do you go back to work?”
“On the fifth. There’s a second staff for the holidays.” He walked his fingers down my arm. “What are you doing today?”
“I’ve got to get some reports done for work. I haven’t sent one in since last year.” I sighed as he chuckled. “I guess I’ll write about muggle traditions for celebrating New Year’s.” Draco gently rolled me off him, and then sat up. I stared up at him lovingly. He brushed a stray hair from my face.
“I really love you,” he said. I sat up and wrapped the sheet around me to resolve my lack of clothing.
“You can stop saying that,” I whispered through a big smile.
“I’ve just never felt this way about anyone before,” he whispered softly. Our lips met halfway and I sunk into yet another kiss.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
In the muggle world, New Year’s Eve is a big event. They think of it as a way to mark how much better or worse their lives have become. Muggles who are not happy with the progress of their year often set a type of goal that they want to complete before the year is over.
I sighed, looking over the beginning of my report. I couldn’t concentrate. Not on champagne and party hats anyway. What was Draco up to?
Common resolutions are to loose weight or to become more organized. Most resolutions are things wizards do with magic, that they have to do themselves.
Why couldn’t I go shopping with him? What was it that he wanted to be a surprise?
Muggles often use the idea of resolutions in ads over the radio or on the television (discussed in report #4).
When would men not want their girlfriends not to come shopping with them? What was a normal surprise that boy friends would give?
Muggles often have parties to celebrate this holiday. They count down the seconds till the current year ends and often kiss someone at zero, such as a friend or a lover.
He wasn’t going to propose, was he? We’d only been going out for a month! Draco wouldn’t make such an important decision so quickly. Then again, that reminded me of how little I knew him.
At such parties they often wear funny hats or blow on little mini trumpet-like tubes. Sometimes they would pull crackers like the-,“ I stopped mid-sentence and threw the pad across the room, letting out an aggravated yell. I needed help from someone who knew this type of thing. I threw a pinch of powder into the fire burning in the fireplace and yelled, “the burrow!” Shoving my head into the fire I yelled, “Ginny?” hoping to Merlin that Ron wouldn’t walk in. Thankfully, Ginny was already lying on the couch, reading Witch Weekly. She jerked her head up and waved her hand to come in.
“Hermy, what a nice surprise! Harry told me about what happened with Ron, are you and Draco okay?” I nodded franticly, dusting ash off my knees. She bent her legs so I could sit down next to her.
“I need help,” I said, trying to keep my voice smooth and level.
“I know you do, you need lots,” she said, giggling.
“What?”
“Never mind, what’s the problem?” I sunk into the cushions and closed my eyes, breathing in the familiar sent; glad to be back when the room didn’t smell of whiskey.
“Draco said he loved me last night,” I said, imagining the happy look on her face through my closed eyes. I opened them, and was greeted by the opposite. Ginny looked confused. “What?”
“It’s only a good thing if you love him too.”
“I do!” Then I realized what I had said. She laughed again.
“Save that for the wedding, Mrs. Malfoy,” I threw a pillow at her. “What are you not telling me?” I sighed.
“He’s up to something.” She waved her hand at me to continue. “He said that he was going to do some shopping today and when I asked if he needed to come with him he answered really quickly, no.” She nodded wisely. “Then he said we should go out for dinner, alone.” She looked up at the ceiling, one eyebrow higher than the other.
“Was he acting weirdly this morning, nervous perhaps?” I thought back over the morning. He had burnt his toast and broken a glass, which was weird for him. He usually moved with grace and poise, even when he was scared, but he hadn’t been himself. He hadn’t even eaten, now that I thought about it.
“Yeah, he was.” She chewed on her thumbnail, thoughtfully.
“Was he really gentle and cuddly as well? Like, he would try to touch you?” I giggled, remembering waking up in his arms. “I’ll take that as a yes. Now, don’t freak out and don’t pin your hopes on what I say, cause I might be wrong. I think he’s going to propose.” She was surprised to see my calm face.
“That’s what I thought at first, but I don’t think he would rush something as big as that.” She shook her head.
“Wouldn’t he? Draco’s changed a lot, we don’t know if he wouldn’t. I’m telling you, you’re going to be Hermione Malfoy!” I sighed.
“I’m so not changing my name,” I said calmly. It didn’t take long for the light bulb to go on over her head.
“So you would say yes it… when he asks?” I felt a smile spread across my face.
“I think so!” We squealed like schoolgirls, but she stopped abruptly. “What is it?”
“Nothing, the baby’s kicking.” She rubbed her belly fondly. I’m so scared,” she whispered. I didn’t know what to say.
“Don’t be Ginny, Harry will be right there next to you, and me and your parents and brothers. And you’ll be at St. Mungo’s so you’ll be safe.” She nodded shyly.
“It’s just getting so close.” She looked on the verge of tears, pregnancy hormones.
“I know, Gin, I know.”
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