Finishing Touches

CHAPTER 3

"Aren't you afraid of getting caught?" Hermione's voice whispered from behind her curtains.

Ginny froze for a second, then continued to gather her clean robes, shampoo, and towel.

"Come here."

Ginny tip toed to Hermione's bed and drew back the curtains. "What?"

"You can sit down."

Ginny sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "Did you tell Ron?"

"Of course not," Hermione answered, looking slightly taken back. "Why would I do that?"

Ginny shrugged, suddenly feeling foolish. "Sorry. I just thought you might."

"Ron has enough going on. You're not going to do it again, are you?"

"He needs me. He needs someone who believes in him."

"But you don't have to . . . sleep with him to prove that," she told her.

"I'm not. At least not in that sense, not in the sex way, anyways. No one else really trusts him. I know Harry and Ron try to, but they don't. Not really."

"Yes they do," Hermione argued.

"Then why didn't anyone ask him to come home for Christmas? Everyone will be at Sirius, I mean Harry's house, but no one asked him to go."

A look of understanding formed on Hermione's face. "You're not going, are you?"

"Not without him."

"You can't stay! We have lots of work to do. I mean, almost the entire Order is going to be there. Plus, its Harry's first Holiday that he's spent there!"

Ginny shrugged. "He was there two years ago. When Sirius was there. Besides I'm not letting Draco spend the Holidays alone."

Hermione's shoulders sagged. "Do your parents know?"

"I'm sure they'll figure it out. Mum is busy with other things anyways. It'll be easier for her to know I'm safe and she doesn't have to look after me. She's still looking for Bill. And I don't want to visit Percy."

"Ginny-"

"I don't. If it was me, I doubt he'd be there."

Hermione looked towards the window, but didn't answer.

"Be careful."

"I am."

The day passed just live every other day since she had started her sixth year, and that night, she climbed into the bed next to Draco, and managed to sleep through most of his dreams. Friday, they studied DaDa for only an hour in the morning, then immediately began the rushed catch ups they were forced to do with the rest of their lessons. Even though trying to memorize a week's worth of Transfiguration, Divination, Potions, Astronomy, Herbology, Charms, and Care of Magical Creatures in seven hours was nearly as exhausting as a weeks worth of DaDa, but Ginny was always glad for the change in the monotonous routine. They usually didn't finish until around seven in the evening, but Ginny was so glad she found herself walking through the corridors feeling more cheerful than usual. Even Harry and Draco were wearing semi smiles, something she hadn't seen in a long, long time.

That evening, she and Draco stayed up later than they normally would have, finding in the midst of their exhaustion, the ability to dress warmly and take their brooms out for a ride. Ginny hadn't touched her broom since the end of the summer holidays and felt free enough to fly away and never look back.

When Ginny and Draco stumbled sleepily down to the Great Hall for breakfast at 11 the next morning, she was surprised to find Dumbledore there.

"Ah," he spoke up with a smile. "I was hoping someone would join me."

Ginny exchanged a nervous look with Draco, but nodded quickly. "Of course. Where is everyone else?"

"It seems everyone was so exhausted that most of them have gone home. Many of the staff went home to their families, and some of them are at Harry's."

"Oh," Ginny answered quietly.

Dumbledore just smiled at them. "I do not blame you for staying here. I am rather tired myself."

The Great Hall had been rearranged so that all the tables, including the High Table, were gone and one large round table sat in the middle of the room. The edges of the Hall were trimmed with giant ever green trees, each with various Christmas themed decorations. The enchanted ceiling was pouring down snow, the fireplace at the end of the hall was roaring merrily, and Ginny's spirits began to lift. Shortly after they had started eating, two of the four other students staying at the school joined them, Rose Zeller, a third year Hufflepuff, and Anthony Goldstein, a fifth year Ravenclaw, and so did Madam Pomfrey and Madam Pince. They stayed in the Hall well into the afternoon, exchanging jokes and wizard crackers, seeing who could chug the most butterbeer, and experimenting with treats from Fred and George's shop.

It was Draco's idea that they go outside and have a snowball fight, girls against boys, and Ginny was thrilled; he had barely spoke to anyone besides her in the past month. Dumbledore, Draco, Anthony, and Euan and Ethan Abercrombie ganged up against Ginny, Rose, Madam Pomfrey, and Madam Pince. Ginny giggled over how loud and giddy both the librarian and the healer were, then quickly decided that it had been more likely fire whiskey that they were drinking, and not butterbeer. They played until the sun had nearly set, and Ginny went to bed that night, happier than she had been in months.

The next afternoon, Dumbledore suggested that since it was just a few of them, they might enjoy a trip to Hogsmead. "In case you have any last minute presents to buy," he told them. "Like I do."

Ginny thought it was a very good idea, since she had bought presents for no one, save Draco. When the last owl had been sent off at the post office, Dumbledore treated them to a Christmas Eve dinner at The Three Broomsticks. "I didn't know they served food here," Anthony said, glancing around. Draco laughed, but Ginny silently agreed.

"It just depends on where you go," Dumbledore told them, leading them up a flight of stairs Ginny had never noticed before.

"There's a lot more places to go here," Draco whispered into her ear as they entered a smaller room with Christmas trees brushing the tops of the low ceilings.

She looked at him questioningly as he held out her chair, but he didn't answer; instead, he smiled at her with a wicked grin and raised his eyebrows.

They had a spectacular feast, complete with meats and fruits, vegetables and desserts to rival that usually served at Hogwarts, and washed it down with pitchers of butterbeer. Half way through the meal, Draco excused himself to the restroom, and even he was far more cheerful than Ginny had ever seen him. While Madam Rosemerta entertained them with stories of past patrons, Draco and Anthony were amusing themselves by shooting miniature firecrackers from her brother's shop at each other.

When they arrived back at Hogwarts, Draco and Anthony pulled bottles of buttlebeer and a large bottle of fire whiskey out of their robes. Ginny's eyes widened, but Draco just smiled wickedly at her.

It was nearly 2 in the morning when Ginny dropped down on the leather couch in the Slytherin common room to sleep. Draco, Euan, and Anthony were still loud and drunk, alternately hexing each other and shooting fireworks around the room. Rose and Ethan had been snogging on one of the couches, but Rose passed out and Ethan got sick. Even though the room was still noisy and full of smoke, Ginny immediately fell into a dreamless sleep.