Can Love Really Conquer All

Chapter 1

Now approaching her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Ginny Weasley was looking forward to seeing all her friends again, but mostly she was looking forward to seeing Harry Potter again. After Harry defeated Lord Voldemort at the end of last term, Harry went into hiding in the Muggle world until all the Deatheaters were captured. Finally, now that school was coming up fast, Harry was allowed to make his way back into the Wizarding world and Ginny couldn't wait to see him tomorrow. Ginny had been planning this day for weeks. She jumped out of bed and took out her best robes, new ones bought recently after the downfall of Fudge when her father received a promotion to one of the members of the new Minister of Magic's cabinet. The new job paid more than quadruple what he was receiving before. Ginny carefully laid out her clothes for under robes just incase it was warmer in Diagon Alley than at the Burrow. She got into bed with high hopes that the next day would go as she hoped.

Ginny woke up the next morning a little earlier than normal to get ready to see Harry. She started with her hair and continually did and redid her hair until it was just right, and even applied a touch of muggle makeup that Hermione had giver her for Christmas. She then got dressed. Ginny thought she looked good enough to leave. Then when she walked downstairs, Ron automatically asked why she was wearing her best robes.

"Your good robes are to be saved for special occasions, not to go to Diagon Alley in," Ron snapped.

"So. Today I get to see friends I haven't seen all summer," Ginny stated.

"Well I for one would not risk my best robes just for a trip to Diagon Alley," Ron told her.

"But you will risk your second best robes because you know you're going to see Hermione," Ginny teased. Ron blushed a deep crimson. "Don't think I'm too stupid to notice when you all dressed up and in a very good mood," Ginny sneered. She knew she had won the argument because Ron was now too furious and embarrassed to speak.

"Okay children, stop bickering, we need to get going," Mrs. Weasley said as she entered the kitchen. Ron and Ginny didn't move. "Come on hurry it up!" Ginny shoved a piece of toast in her mouth and proceeded to the fireplace.

"RON! Come on! We have to get your books before school begins," Ginny teased.

" I think I'll take my time, what's the rush anyway?" Ron asked.

"Oh no you won't Ronald Weasley," Mrs. Weasley ordered before Ginny had time to respond. "We need to get going if we're going to meet the others on time. Ginny, you go first."

Ginny stepped into the large fireplace, swallowed the last of her toast, took a handful of floo powder, and pronounced clearly, "Diagon Alley!"

~~~~~~~

Harry sat at one of the larger of the small white tables outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor in Diagon Alley. Across from him sat a handsome young man with short blonde hair.

"Draco, isn't this a very beautiful day to have come out of hiding?" Harry asked the man sitting across from him."

"Yes, it is," Draco Malfoy responded. "Good day for quidditch." Thus beginning a conversation on quidditch.

Draco had crossed over to Dumbledore's side during the previous year when he began to reckonise his father's wrong acts. He fought for Dumbledore as a spy, a Deatheater in training, risking his life. He survived the wrath of Voldemort shortly before his death because he had not yet been marked as a full Deatheater. Draco had even lead Harry directly to Voldemort on the night of that fateful battle, the end of the second war. Draco had proved his loyalty to Dumbledore and had earned the right as one of Harry's closest and most trustworthy friends. The two quickly became friends and wondered why they had spent so much time hating each other. Draco had also taken on a new look for himself. He sneered rarely and smiled almost as much as Harry. His hair was now short, not even two inches long. He no longer gelled it back and his appearance was now softer. Draco was enjoying this newfound friendship with Harry. They had been hiding together over the last few weeks of the summer because it was becoming safer. They were now in Diagon Alley to meet up with the remaining members of the D.A. Even though the D.A. was no longer needed it was continuing to work full fledged and all the students would continue to meet as they grew older in and outside Hogwarts just incase a wizard decided to retaliate over the death of Voldemort years later. Draco had become a full member near the end of last term and was very active in it. He liked his turn toward good, even if some Slytherins disagreed, but they were by far the minority of students and Slytherins. Like what the hat had said at the beginning of his fifth year, all the houses had to pull together to win the war, it took some of the Slytherins much longer that the other three houses, but they did and they won. The rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin was now practically nonexistent except for the few Slytherins that still remained on their parents side.

The sun was shining bright and Draco was glad he was eating ice cream and not Butterbeer or something else warm. Harry and Draco were just finishing up their conversation on quidditch when the Weasleys walked up. Draco first noticed the flaming red hair of Ron and Mrs. Weasley, and then he saw Ginny. Her hair had deepened to a beautiful dark auburn. Her figure had also changed over the summer, she had developed very nice curves and her face and thinned and lost some of the baby fat every one has until a certain age. Ginny was suddenly a beautiful young woman in Draco's eyes. Ginny then smiled brightly when she saw Harry. Draco was glad that he was sitting otherwise his knees would have given out on him. 'How can this be Ginny? Ron's little sister I've never felt this way about a girl before, and I never thought it would be a Weasley!' Draco thought. Ginny then turned to him just now relizing someone else was there and gave him a heartwarming smile. He then looked into her eyes thinking that he could get lost in those beautiful hazel eyes forever.