Who Followed Who?

When Draco awoke, the first thing he was conscious of was the warm body curled up against his. He smiled sleepily, pulling her closer to him. During the night they had shifted together so that they were both lying on their sides; her back was pressed against his chest. His arm was draped possessively over her slumbering form, and he sighed happily.

He hadn't meant to fall asleep beside her in her room - it wasn't something that either of his parents would have approved of, had they known about it - but he had enjoyed every second of it thoroughly. They were both still fully clothed, after all, and they hadn't done anything but sleep. Draco snickered softly. Who would have ever thought that, left alone with an attractive girl, all he'd want to do was hold her while she slept?

He stopped laughing and closed his eyes, hugging her tighter. He did want to touch her; that was obvious enough. He wanted to kiss her and so much more, but that would come. For now, holding her was enough. The fact that she had trusted him not to take advantage of her was maddening. She must have a great deal of faith in him, was all he could figure.

The thought that anyone other than his parents should have that kind of faith in him was amazing. He resolved to propose to her soon. It couldn't be today, because the day was already planned out. It couldn't be tomorrow, because that was the wedding. His eyes flew open wide. The wedding! Wouldn't going to a wedding put her in a romantic mood? Surely it would; a day full of romance and dancing, and then at the end of the night, he could propose to her under the stars.

He smiled to himself as he imagined the scene he would create for her. He would dance with her at the wedding, creating the groundwork for the rest of the evening. He would pull out his father's old flying carpet and fly her over the lake that was on the back of the Malfoy property, then present her with a bouquet of roses from his mother's special garden. After that, he would read her a poem he'd written himself (hadn't she said she considered that romantic?), and then he'd get down on one knee and ask her to be his wife.

It would be perfect.

At that moment, Ginny began to stir. She mumbled something unintelligible, then yawned. Draco chuckled softly, and she froze in surprise. When she realized who it was, she relaxed and snuggled back against him. He squeezed her tight.

"Morning," he whispered.

"Morning," she whispered back. "I guess we fell asleep together, huh?"

"Are you upset?" She shook her head.

"It's nice to be with you as soon as I wake up," she admitted softly. His heart swelled. What she didn't say was that he was the first thing she thought about upon waking up, anyway, so waking up beside the real thing was infinitely better. "I hope I didn't kick you, or anything." He chuckled again.

"I don't think you did. I'm a fitful sleeper; if anyone got kicked, it was probably you." She giggled.

"I'll promise to forgive you if you promise you'll forgive me."

"Deal," he said, smiling. "So, how about some breakfast?" She sighed heavily, and then rolled over to face him.

"So anxious to get out of bed," she teased. His cheeks turned a light pink, and she smiled. He was embarrassed!

"Not really," he admitted. "But if we don't, I shudder to think how Pansy and your brother might react when they arrive and find us still here." At this, Ginny sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"I have a feeling that Pansy would be a lot more forgiving than my brother would be," she said, stretching. She stood and went into the bathroom to begin her morning ministrations. He propped his head up on his hand and stared at the bathroom door.

"Why is he so protective of you?"

"I'm the only girl," she called. "Not to mention that I'm the baby. All of my brothers have always been overprotective of me - especially Ron. He and I have always been close, since we're only a year apart in age."

"That's understandable," he said, nodding. He watched as she emerged from the bathroom and went to the closet to look for an outfit. "Why don't you wear your jeans today?" he suggested. She turned and arched an eyebrow at him.

"Jeans? Are you sure it'd be okay?" He nodded.

"We're going out, and you should be comfortable while you do it."

"Are you wearing jeans?"

"I don't own any jeans," he said, shaking his head. She stared.

"You don't own any jeans," she echoed, dumbfounded.

"No, I don't. But really, you should wear yours, and be comfortable. I'm sure Pansy won't try to dress up until she sees your brother later this evening." Ginny turned and reached for her jeans. She chose a purple long-sleeved shirt, and then pulled a black long-sleeved shirt out as well. She held them both up in front of her and turned to Draco.

"Which one should I wear?" He considered the shirts, then pointed to her left side.

"The black one. Accentuates your hair better." She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yes, because it doesn't stand out enough, does it?" He blinked.

"I like your hair."

"Quit teasing me."

"I'm not teasing you."

"You hate my hair. You've told me since the day you met me that you hate the Weasley red."

"Your hair isn't the same color as your family's hair anymore," he said, frowning. "It's more... it's sort of a ... it looks like copper." She turned to see if he was teasing her, but she found no trace of amusement on his face.

"All right," she said softly, putting the purple shirt back. His eyes followed her as she went into the bathroom to change. "Aren't you uncomfortable out there, knowing that I'm in here changing?"

"Not really," he said. It was a partial truth; he was very comfortable being around her, no matter what she was doing. On the other hand, he wanted nothing more than to barrel into the bathroom and remove her clothes himself. He grinned at the thought, and she stepped back into the room. Her face was scrubbed clean, she'd brushed her teeth, and she was dressed. "You look good in jeans."

"Are you saying that I don't look good in dressy clothes, or are you saying that you just like the way my lower half looks in jeans?" she teased. He laughed.

"I like the way you look in jeans." She blushed, which only made him laugh harder.

"When is Ron supposed to be here?" she asked, attempting to change the subject.

"Around ten, I believe." Ginny turned and glanced at the clock that hung on the wall.

"It's almost nine thirty. We slept late."

"It's nice to sleep in on occasion, is it not?" She nodded, smiling to herself as she did. She found that it was nicer to sleep in when there was someone next to her to sleep in with. He noticed her amused expression and raised his eyebrows at her. "We're not thinking improper thoughts are we, Miss Weasley?"

"Why, of course not, Mister Malfoy," she said, dropping him a quick curtsey. He laughed, and then got up off of the bed. He moved close to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, dropping a light kiss on her lips.

"I love it when you're impertinent," he whispered. She laughed.

"You'd better go get ready for Ron," she said. "He's notorious for being early."

"He is? That's unusual. I thought he was notorious for being late."

"He used to be, before Hermione told him that she'd never let him touch her again if he was late one more time." Draco clucked his tongue.

"He was really in love with her, wasn't he?"

"I don't believe he was," she said, shaking her head. "I think, more than anything else, he was flattered that she had feelings for him. He was flattered that she could have liked Harry, but instead she liked him. And I think that he probably enjoyed the physical relationship as well."

"You think they were together because he was afraid of being alone?" She nodded. "Then what's to stop him from being with Pansy just because he doesn't want to be alone?"

"Nothing, except that I think he really likes her."

"What? Why do you think that?"

"The way he looks at her. The way he talks to her. The way he keeps finding little ways to touch her on accident. I've never seen him look at Hermione the way he looked at Pansy last night."

"Interesting," he murmured.

"Aren't you cute, playing the matchmaker," she laughed. He grinned.

"I'd better get going and change," he said, letting go of her reluctantly. She nodded.

"Have fun."

"I'll have a lot more fun when I'm back here with you." She turned scarlet and laughed softly.

"You're a shameless flatterer."

"And you like it."

"Guilty," she nodded. He grinned. "Do you want me to give you the key to my vault, so you can get some money for Ron to use?"

"No need. My treat." She stared at him.

"You do realize that he won't accept anything as long as he knows it's coming from you, right?"

"Well, I'll pay for everything and tell him you gave me the money for his things."

"That's very sweet of you," she said, smiling.

"What can I say, I'm a sweet guy." She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead.

"You are."

"I'll see you after lunch. Try not to let Pansy lead you too far astray," he teased, disappearing through the door and into the hallway.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Where would you like to have lunch?" Pansy asked as she pulled her cloak tight around her. Ginny looked up and down the street that they were on, and pointed to a small restaurant near Quality Quidditch Supplies.

"How about that place? I've never been in there before." Pansy nodded and began walking towards the restaurant.

"Do you think your brother will be all right alone with Draco?" she asked, holding the door open for Ginny. They went inside and found a small table near the front window of the restaurant.

"I'm not sure. I think so," she answered, removing her cloak. "Draco was certainly acting like he'd be nice to him, and with Ron's behavior last night, I think that it's entirely possible that they might be able to learn to get along."

"What can I get for you ladies this afternoon?" The waitress smiled at them.

"Just soup for me, thanks," Pansy said. "And a glass of water."

"I'd like the same, but with an order of bread on the side," Ginny said. The waitress nodded and walked away from the table, then returned with two glasses of water. "This is going to sound like a really odd question, but do you know what size pants Draco wears?" Pansy spluttered, then wiped her chin with a napkin.

"Now that is an interesting thing to want to know," Pansy said, after she had regained her composure. There was a wicked sparkle in her eyes as she watched Ginny blush. "Care to share why you'd like to know?"

"It's nothing... just a joke, really." Ginny took a sip of water and hoped that Pansy would let it drop. Pansy arched an eyebrow and leaned forward.

"I'll tell you what size if you'll let me in on the joke," she whispered conspiratorially. Ginny laughed despite her embarrassment.

"Well, he told me to wear my jeans today, and I asked why, and we just sort of joked back and forth about it. That's all it was, really." Pansy looked a little disappointed.

"Oh," she said. Then her face brightened. "He likes the way your butt looks in jeans!" She cackled gleefully, and Ginny blushed, even though she was laughing.

"Pansy," she chided gently. "So, how did things go with my brother last night?" Pansy's laughter subsided and it was her turn to blush. Ginny's mouth dropped open. "Oh, Gods, Pansy! What did the two of you do that's making you blush like that? You're as red as an apple!"

"We spent the night together," she said, a huge smile spreading across her face. Ginny gasped.

"You what?"

"Oh, we didn't do anything," Pansy added quickly, shaking her head. "I mean, we did, just not what you think we did."

"What did you do?"

"We talked. We talked for a long time, actually. We walked around outside and looked at the stars. And then he kissed me."

"He kissed you? Aww, that's so romantic! Under the stars," Ginny sighed. Pansy giggled.

"I think he'd been trying to work up the courage to do it all day, and then when he finally did it, I think I surprised him by kissing him back like I did."

"I'm sure he enjoyed it," Ginny laughed. The waitress brought their orders and sat them down on the table. "Now, I believe you promised me some information?"

"Fine," Pansy said, smiling. "Am I to understand that you're going to buy Draco some jeans?"

"You don't think he'd be offended, do you?" Ginny asked, buttering a steaming slice of bread.

"I think he'd be flattered," Pansy said. "And I can't wait to see his face when you give them to him."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

"Are you sure that Ginny has enough money for all of these things?" Ron asked uncertainly, hefting a large pile of designer clothes onto the counter. Draco nodded.

"That's what she said." Ron looked uncomfortable for another moment, then held his hand out. Draco stared at it, then looked at Ron. "What?"

"I'm trying to shake your hand, you pompous ass," Ron said, grinning. Draco took Ron's proffered hand and shook it. "I wasn't sure how to deal with the news that my sister was in love with you," Draco's head shot up and he stared at Ron, who went on, oblivious. "But I see now that she's happy and your family is being good to her, and that's more than I could ask for her."

"In love with me?" he asked, startled. Ron blinked.

"Well, yeah," he said, nodding. "Didn't you know that already?" Draco shook his head slowly, and Ron cursed under his breath.

"How do you know how she feels about me?" Draco asked, as he handed the money for the clothes to the clerk.

"Pansy talked to her yesterday. You know - girl talk," Ron said, wrinkling his nose. "And she told me what Gin said about you."

"Are you going to tell me, or not?"

"Are you sure you want to know? It's pretty disgusting," Ron said. Draco snorted.

"Just tell me."

"Well well, isn't this just cozy?" Draco and Ron both looked up, surprised to see Harry standing in front of the door. Padma Patil was behind him, her eyes as wide as saucers. Ron's expression turned cold, as did Draco's, and Harry would have sworn that they were related, had he not known better.

"Potter," Draco drawled lazily. "What a surprise to see you in this store. Is it possible that you've finally developed some taste?" He noticed Padma holding a shopping bag, and chuckled. "No, of course not. Your girlfriend is the one with the good taste." Harry glared at him.

"Aren't you going to say hello, Ron?" Harry asked coldly. Ron's glare shot daggers at Harry, chilling him to the core.

"Not if I can help it," Ron answered gruffly. Harry blinked in surprise as Ron elbowed past him. He turned back to Draco, who was chuckling.

"You have absolutely no social skills, Potter. By the way, in case you were still following us, we're going to Madame Malkin's next, and then we're going to get some lunch at the Three Broomsticks. After that you'll be alone, since we're going back to the Manor to meet the girls. Ciao." He turned and walked leisurely out of the shop, and Harry stared after him, astounded by his bravado.

"How did he know you were following him?" Padma asked curiously.

"I don't know," Harry snapped. "Be quiet so I can think." Padma looked stung but said nothing. Harry just stared after Draco and Ron, watching them through the store's window until they had disappeared from sight.

Chapter 31

"I think the boys are back," Pansy said excitedly. She examined herself in the mirror one last time, and then turned to face Ginny. "You look so good in yellow." Ginny was wearing a pale yellow long-sleeved shirt paired with her jeans.

"Thanks," she said, smiling. She reached for the bag that held two items she'd purchased that afternoon for Draco - a pair of jeans and a gold ID bracelet. She'd thought of him immediately when she'd seen the bracelet, but had been hesitant about buying it. After some cajoling from Pansy, she'd purchased it and had his name engraved on it. "Do you really think-"

"He'll love them," Pansy said. Ginny laughed.

"And I'm sure Ron will love his surprise," Ginny nodded. Pansy grinned. She'd bought Ron a bag full of chocolate frogs.

"Why don't we make our way down to the parlor, then, my dear?" Pansy said, imitating Narcissa's soft voice. Ginny covered her mouth and giggled.

"You shouldn't tease like that," she whispered as they walked down the hallway. Pansy snorted.

"She knows I love her just like I love my own mother," Pansy said, shrugging. "I was over here enough as a child. Draco and I did everything together before Hogwarts, you know. We even had the same tutors."

"Aha!" Ginny and Pansy both jumped at Draco's voice. "I knew if you two were left alone long enough, you'd start discussing my horrible past!" Pansy laughed, and then leaned closer to Ginny.

"He used to cry every time he got a scratch," she whispered, cupping her hand to Ginny's ear. "And he used to cry if he thought I got a bigger treat than he did." Ginny laughed, and Draco arched an eyebrow.

"Hey, now! Stop that!" Pansy grinned and gave him a quick peck on the cheek when they got close enough. "Can't have you ruining the evil reputation I've worked so hard to build."

"Where's Ron?" Ginny asked, glancing around the corridor. Draco pretended to look affronted.

"All day apart, and your first words are concern for your brother? No concern for me at all?" Ginny laughed.

"I can see that you're alive and well," Ginny teased. "But my brother is not here, therefore I inquired as to his well-being." Draco started to say something, but before he could, Ron stepped into the hallway. Pansy and Ginny both stared, their jaws dropping open. Draco smirked.

"As you can see, he is quite well." Ron appeared to have taken fashion tips from Draco; his hair was neatly combed and he was dressed similarly to Draco. He even looked as though he'd had a manicure. Pansy gave a low whistle, and Ron grinned at her, even though his ears turned scarlet.

"Wow," Pansy said, circling him. He laughed.

"You don't look so bad yourself," he said. She threw her arms around his neck, surprising him with a tight hug. When he hugged her back, Ginny smiled. Draco arched an eyebrow at her.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing at the bag she was carrying. She blushed and held it out to him.

"It's just a little something I picked up for you." He took the bag and gave her a look of surprise.

Pansy steered Ron back into the parlor. "I have something for you, too," she said, as she pushed him inside the room. When Draco and Ginny were alone in the hallway, he opened the bag. He pulled out the jeans and grinned at her.

"How did you know my size?"

"Pansy." He chuckled and dropped a quick peck on her cheek.

"Thank you."

"There's something else in there as well," she said. He glanced down and pulled out a small black box. Before he opened it, he raised his eyes to her and stared.

"This is a jewelry box," he said. She nodded and watched as he lifted the lid. He stared at the bracelet for so long that she wondered if she had made a mistake purchasing it for him.

"If you don't like it," she began uncertainly. He reached forward and plunged his hands into her hair, drawing her close enough to press his lips hard against hers. He kissed her wildly, stealing her breath away. When he pulled away and looked at her, her cheeks were pink.

"I love it," he said finally. He removed it from the box and handed it to her. "Can you help me put it on?" With shaky hands, she draped the bracelet over his wrist, then fastened it. He admired it only for a moment, and then he reached for her hand. He threaded his fingers through hers and led her into the parlor, where Ron and Pansy were waiting.

"So I see I wasn't the only one who received a gift," Draco said, smirking at Ron. Ron bit the head off of a chocolate frog and winked at Pansy, who giggled.

"How was your shopping trip?" Ginny asked, lowering herself onto the couch. Draco sat down beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Ron's face darkened.

"Everything was going just fine until we ran into Harry," Ron spat. Draco shrugged.

"Potter had been following us from the moment we stepped into Hogsmeade," he commented. Ginny blinked.

"Does he follow you often?"

"Not as much as he used to," Draco said, shaking his head. "He must have realized that I'm not stupid enough to do anything illegal out in the open." Ginny relaxed slightly.

"Can't you get some sort of order of protection, or something?"

"Not unless Harry attacks him," Ron said. Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I didn't think you were familiar with the laws," he said. Ron's ears turned red.

"Just because I'm not a Ministry employee like them doesn't mean that I don't know the laws - or ways around them." Draco looked even more surprised, and Pansy stared at him.

"So what are you saying, exactly?"

"I'm saying that there might be a way that we could all get protective orders against Harry."

"Do tell," Draco said, hugging Ginny closer.

"If you can prove that he's been following you for an extended amount of time even though you haven't been convicted of a crime, you can file for a protective order."

"How does that work?" Pansy asked, confused.

"The Ministry is perfectly within rights if they choose to follow a known criminal around. It's considered a preventative measure," Ron explained. "They could follow a former convict around for the rest of that person's life, if they wanted to, and the poor bloke couldn't do anything about it. But someone who has a clean record..." he let his voice trail off, and he shrugged.

"But you'd need proof that he's been following you," Pansy reasoned. Draco arched an eyebrow at her.

"I think I know where I can get that proof, don't you, Ron?" Ron looked startled by the use of his first name, but he nodded.

"How are you going to convince her to come forward?"

"All he'd need is a letter written in her hand and signed," Ginny said offhandedly. Draco and Ron both turned to shoot incredulous looks at her, and she shrugged. "What? Being invisible makes you privy to a lot of private conversations. Besides, with the way Harry treats her, I don't think you'd have a problem convincing Padma to do it."

"Padma? Patil?" Pansy asked. Ron laughed.

"Don't tell me you didn't know that the famous Harry Potter had started dating someone?"

"Well, yes," she said, shifting in her chair. "But I thought the papers said it was Cho Chang."

"She turned him down ages ago," Ginny said, waving a hand dismissively. "The papers got wind of it and blew it way out of proportion."

"Let's talk about something more pleasant than Potter's love life, or lack thereof," Draco said, shaking his head. Pansy eyed the bag at his feet.

"Aren't you going to wear your jeans?" she teased. He grinned.

"Is the world ready for Draco Malfoy in jeans?" he replied.

"I'll bet Ginny is ready for you in jeans," Pansy laughed.

"Well then, that's all that matters," Draco said softly, turning to glance at her. She smiled as her cheeks turned pink.

"So what should I expect at this wedding tomorrow?" Ron asked. "And what time should I meet who where?" Draco blinked, then shook his head.

"Do you always ask so many questions at once?" Ron considered this for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah." Ginny laughed.

"Why don't you just come over here tomorrow and get ready with Draco?" Pansy suggested.

"I have a better idea," Draco said. "Why don't you just stay the night here in one of the guest rooms? We have plenty of room. It would save you the trouble of having to go all the way home and then having to come back." Ginny's smile broadened.

"That's a great idea, Ron!"

"And while we're at it, Pansy, you should just stay here, too," Draco said, nodding at her. "Since I know you and Ginny will want to get ready together."

"How convenient for me that I've already brought all of my things over here, then," she said, winking at Ginny. Ginny laughed. Ron exchanged an amused look with Draco.

"Do you ever get the feeling that your control over things is just an illusion?" Draco asked him. Ron snorted softly, and Pansy elbowed him gently in the side.

"Shall we all just change into our pyjamas and have a slumber party?" Pansy suggested. Ginny paled.

"I don't think so," she said, shaking her head. Draco gave her a highly amused look, and Ron frowned.

"Why not?"

"Because my pyjamas are hardly appropriate for mixed company," she said, her face turning red. Ron's jaw dropped.

"You mean to tell me that you don't have any baggy pants or anything that you could wear?"

Ginny shook her head slowly, and Pansy cleared her throat. "All right, then. That's out. Unless Draco wants to lend you something of his to wear." Draco shrugged.

"I'm sure I could find something suitable, although I wouldn't mind if she wore her pyjamas."

"Look, I don't care how nice you're being to me," Ron started, putting his hand up. "It still freaks me out to hear you saying things like that about my sister." Draco laughed, then stood up.

"Fine, I'll try and refrain myself. Will the two of you be all right alone together while I take Ginny to find some clothes?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively at Pansy, who slapped at him. He dodged her and grabbed Ginny's hand, tugging her up off of the sofa, and pulled her out into the hallway.

"You're so mean," she laughed. He squeezed her hand gently and shot her a grin.

"She loves it, otherwise she wouldn't put up with me."

"Obviously," she laughed again. When they got inside his room, he closed the door behind them and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her close.

"I love the gifts," he whispered, his breath warm against her lips. She shivered and slid her arms around his neck.

"I'm glad."

"I like the bracelet especially," he said, brushing his lips lightly against hers.

"I thought of you when I saw it," she whispered. He lowered his head to nuzzle her ear.

"And I'll think of you every time I look at it."

"As much as I'm enjoying this," she said breathily. "We do need to get back, eventually." He pulled away and pouted at her, eliciting a giggle from her.

"So anxious not to be alone with me."

"It's not that, and you know it." He released her and turned to his closet to find her something. "Are you sure you don't mind me wearing something of yours?"

"Not at all." He continued looking through his clothes as his mind raced. He didn't like her in baggy clothes, but it was a different matter altogether if the baggy clothes were his. He liked the idea of her wearing something that belonged to him; it would be a sort of brand to everyone - a symbolic gesture, to let everyone know that she was his.

He pulled out a pair of old black pyjama pants that were softened from years of wearing and washing, then rummaged through his dresser for an old Falcons t-shirt. She squealed when he handed her the shirt.

"The Falcons!" He laughed at her delighted look.

"It's just a t-shirt."

"It's your t-shirt," she said quietly, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. "Thank you. I'm going to go change." He watched as she opened the door and bounded out into the hallway, smiling stupidly to himself.