In the Bleak Midwinter

(&)

Ginny was blushing slightly at Hermione's last words as the older Gryffindor girl made her way back to the robe store. "Twentieth wedding anniversary" was always daunting for a young couple to hear, much less before they'd even gone on a real date.

Draco, however, had a strange, almost pleased look on his face.

"You look like the cat who got the cream," Ginny told him slyly, stepping toward him and wrapping her arms around his neck. His own limbs encircled her smoothly.

"I did get the cream," he said wryly, kissing her shortly. He felt her lips curve upward in a smile beneath his own.

(&)

"Will I see you again before tomorrow?" Ginny asked at the front gates of Hogwarts.

"Probably not," Draco replied, giving her a disappointed look. "We can't risk getting found out when the Masque is tomorrow night."

"Right," Ginny said, nodding sadly. "All right. Where shall I meet you tomorrow evening, then?"

Draco was silent as he thought. "In the Astronomy Tower," he said finally. "Before you go down to the Masque."

Ginny smiled. "Like that first night."

He studied her closely, his eyes soft as they rarely were. "Like that first night," he repeated, so softly that Ginny had to strain to hear his voice. She knew he was remembering the bitter emptiness that had lead them to the tower, and then the feeling of quenched thirst that had filled them both when they left after an evening together.

Then she kissed him quickly on his cheek and took her dress robes from him. "Until then," she murmured, before starting up the hill and slipping into the castle.

Draco watched her go, following her trek to the front doors with a cool gaze from beneath his fringe of goose-down hair. He leaned calmly against the gate-post, and he waited a few moments after Ginny's red mane had disappeared through the doorway before heading inside himself, so that no one watching would know they had been together.

(&)

Ginny woke early the next morning, unable to suppress her jittery nerves. The thought of the Masque loomed in her head as she showered and dressed into jeans and a sweater. Finally, she knew she had to work off her pent-up energy; she decided to walk down to the kitchens for a bit of breakfast. That way, she could also avoid Ron and Harry.

The halls were nearly empty, as most of the other students were down in the Great Hall. Ginny hummed to herself as she tickled the pear on the familiar portrait and climbed into the kitchen, which was full of bustling house elves.

"Miss Harry Potter's Friend!" a squeaky voice called from across the kitchen.

Ginny jumped and looked for its source. It did not take long to pick out Dobby among the sea of other elves, as he was wearing a bright orange-and-green plaid shirt, tan trousers that had been unevenly cropped to fit him, mismatched socks, and three of Hermione's hats from two years previous.

It was all Ginny could do to keep from laughing.

"Miss Harry Potter's Friend," Dobby squeaked again, having trudged his way through the crowd of elves currently serving breakfast. "Can Dobby get you something to eat?"

Ginny smiled. "Sure, Dobby. Just some tea would do -"

"And don't forget the scones," a smooth voice added from behind Ginny.

She jumped and whirled around, only to discover Blaise. "You have a nasty habit of sneaking up on people," she informed him coldly.

"Did we wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, dearest?" he asked, sitting down at the little square table by the fireplace.

"We haven't woken up anywhere together, thank you," she replied, although she found herself sitting down across from him as Dobby scurried about fixing the tea.

Blaise sighed dramatically, his hands clutching his heart. Ginny rolled her eyes as he theatrically said, "Alas, 'tis true, fair dame - my love remains unrequited."

"And will remain that way, forever," Ginny added.

"Ooh," he said, hunching over as if hurt. "Your words wound me."

Ginny sighed. She opened her mouth to retort, but Dobby reappeared at that moment. Ginny realized how amazingly strong the little house elf must be, for he was carrying a tray several times larger than himself with relative ease. He set it on the table and bowed with a flourish. "Dobby has brought the tea," he said.

Ginny smiled at him. "Thank you very much, Dobby, it looks delicious."

Dobby beamed with pride and bustled off to another part of the kitchen.

Ginny glanced back at the tray. Not only was the smell of warm, honey-steeped tea wafting into the air, but freshly-baked scones steamed in a large pile on the tray.

"I think we've deprived everyone upstairs of scones this morning," Ginny commented to Blaise as she poured them both a cup of tea.

He sat up straight again, his theatrics over. "I've been meaning to tell Draco," he said suddenly, taking his tea from Ginny with a nod, "that I'll be his second tonight."

"His... second?" Ginny asked, confused and surprised at Blaise's transformation from drama king to sober student.

"At the duel," Blaise explained to her, buttering a scone. "You know, between him and Harry."

Ginny nearly dropped her tea. "WHAT?!"

Blaise's eyes widened as he looked at her. "Calm down!" he hissed. "You mean you didn't know?"

Ginny's voice was shaking, full of anger, surprise, and fear. "No. Apparently I'm not allowed to know about things like that." She set down her tea violently, spilling amber liquid over the edge of her cup. "I can't believe Draco planned a duel!" she spat. "And with Harry! It will be chaos, a disaster, complete ruination..."

"Oh dear," Blaise said. "I thought Draco had told you." Blaise took a large gulp of tea. "He's going to throttle me for this."

"He's the one who should be throttled," Ginny muttered, and she sounded as if she were planning to do just that. "Bloody idiot... a duel, for Merlin's sake..." She rounded on Blaise. "And you planned this with him?"

"Well... I mean, of course not! No... no, of course I -"

Ginny stood up, her chair scraping loudly on the kitchen floor. All the surrounding house elves were watching with wide, worried eyes. "Boys are such prats," she said to Blaise. Then she turned and stormed from the kitchen.

(&)

Ginny marched straight down to the Great Hall, glaring daggers at any student in her path. It was not hard to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione where they sat at the Gryffindor table, chatting animatedly with the Hufflepuff girl.

The part of Ginny's mind that was not incoherently angry registered with some relief that Zacharias Smith was not at breakfast this morning, therefore, he hadn't been telling Harry and Ron about Draco.

Ginny continued to storm over to them. All three of them looked up, shocked, as she approached. "Harry," she said, so forcefully that he jumped.

"Yes, Ginny?" he asked, his eyes concerned and worried. "What's wrong?"

"Are you bringing your wand tonight?" she demanded.

He blinked. "What?!"

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Ginny, but the youngest Weasley ignored her, instead growling at Harry, "I asked you if you were bringing your wand to the Masque this evening."

"I - I suppose so, yeah. Why?"

Ginny squared her shoulders. "Thanks. Good. Don't forget it." Then, without answering his question, she whirled around and marched from the hall, resolutely ignoring the Slytherin table, from which she was sure Draco was staring.

"Ginny!" Ron called after her, but she had already slammed the doors of the hall.

(&)

Ginny passed the rest of the day fuming and hiding from everyone. As the Masque began to approach, she ignored the time, sitting in her silent dormitory and worrying, both for Draco and for Harry. What if they hurt each other? She'd feel horrible. Her mother would be irate. And what if something worse happened? Harry was a powerful wizard, and when he was angry, things were not pretty. What if he - what if he - ?

Suddenly, a soft knock at the door interrupted Ginny's thoughts - fortunately, because they had been heading down a path she did not wish to follow. She stood up and crossed the room, but before opening her door, she asked, "Who is it?"

"Hermione. Please let me in, Ginny."

Ginny felt almost relieved. Hermione would help. Hermione would know. She opened the door.

Hermione stood holding her dress robes, her wand, and various bottles. She seemed to procrastinate a moment, but stepped over the threshold. Ginny shut the door quickly and locked it.

"Hello," Hermione said, and she sounded somewhat concerned. "Are you doing all right?"

Ginny sighed. "I would say 'fine,' but that would be a lie," she told Hermione after a moment's silence.

Hermione set her things down on Ginny's bed and quickly took the Weasley into a warm embrace. "Oh, Ginny," she murmured, "I can imagine how hard this must be."

Ginny bit her bottom lip to stop from crying. "Draco's going to duel with Harry tonight."

Hermione stiffened and stepped backward. "What?"

"Blaise told me. That's why I was asking Harry about his wand this morning." Ginny all but fell onto the bed, looking morose. "I don't know what to do."

Hermione sat down next to her. She was very quiet. Then, barely audible, she said, "You have to stop Draco from doing it."

Ginny looked at her sharply. "Do you think he'll listen? He still hates Harry, no matter how much he loves me. He always will. I can't change that."

Hermione sighed and placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "Yes, you can. You have to."

Ginny stared. "Do you realize what you're asking me to do, Hermione? Draco has hated Harry for seven years. Seven years. That could never change in one night."

"This is your moment to be strong, Ginny," said Hermione. Her voice was firm, harsh, and completely truthful, even if it hurt. "Draco cannot love you and hate Harry at the same time. He has to..." Hermione hesitated only a moment before finishing, "... he has to give one of you up."

Ginny's lip quivered. "He hasn't even loved me for seven days," she said, her voice hopeless. "How could that be stronger than his hatred?"

"True love always is," Hermione reassured her. Ginny sniffled, but nodded, wiping her eyes.

Hermione let her gather herself, but finally said, "Now, we have a Masque to get ready for, don't we?"

(&)

"I'll go first," Hermione whispered, "and distract Harry and Ron. You sneak around the perimeter of the room and out the portrait hole."

"Right," Ginny whispered back, nodding. "Ready when you are."

Hermione gave Ginny's shoulder one last squeeze, smiled, and marched resolutely down the rest of the girl's staircase into the common room.

"H-Hermione," Ginny heard Ron stutter, sounding slightly breathless.

"You look great, Hermione," said Harry calmly. He sounded farther away; he was probably trying to give his friends some room. Ginny smiled to herself. Ever the gentleman. Then he smile faded. Harry might be going wand-to-wand with Draco that very evening...

Not if I can help it, she thought to herself, but her voice was not as strong as she had hoped it would be.

She heard Hermione's voice again, talking animatedly, and Ginny knew this was her chance. She snuck down the staircase, keeping to the shadows as she began to slither across the common room. Hermione was holding Ron's hand; he was blushing. They both stood in front of the fire. Sitting down in an armchair a few yard's away was Harry, looking casual but a little nervous.

Ginny was just creeping out of the portrait hole when she heard him ask, "Where's Ginny?"

(&)

Draco was leaning against the ramparts of the tower, his white robes glowing against the twilight sky. Ginny approached carefully, her heart roaring in her chest; she clenched her fists, trying to will herself to be strong. She had to convince Draco... she just had to.

"Hello," she said, touching him on the shoulder and leaning against the stone next to him.

He turned quickly to look at her and gave her a fleeting smile. "Hey."

Ginny swallowed. She let her hand drop and looked not into Draco's eyes, but out at the darkening sky.

He sighed, looking away as well. "I know you're angry."

She stiffened. Oh, Merlin...

Draco was staring at her again. "But I don't know why," he added, his voice quiet and almost pleading.

Ginny relaxed slightly. So Blaise hadn't told Draco about the knowledge he'd released.

But now she would have to, so either way, it was bad.

She gulped, steeled her resolve one last time, and then turned to face Draco. "I know about the duel," she spat out, much more quickly than she'd meant to. She watched his face for a reaction.

His features seemed to deflate. "Oh. That."

"Draco..."

"Look, Ginny," he interrupted, his voice stern and becoming angry. "Potter isn't going to just accept us. He's not as smart as Granger."

Ginny sighed. "Draco, listen to me."

To her surprise, Draco fell silent. He turned to face her. His eyes were angry, but they were not stone-hard. She gazed into them with determination.

"You cannot fight Harry tonight." Draco let out a hiss of breath and opened his mouth to retort, but Ginny was faster. She held up a hand to quiet him and continued. "You must make a choice." His brow was knitted with doubt, hurt, and growing rage. "There is a very fine line between love and hate. You and I are walking proof. True love and true hate cannot coexist." Ginny's voice stuck in her throat for a moment; the next words were the hardest to say, but she knew that she had to. "You must choose," she said finally. "Love or hate. Harry or me. Duel... or no duel."

Draco was silent. Then he clenched his hand into a fist and punched it angrily into the stone wall. He sighed with frustration, looking out across the vast lengths of green surrounding Hogwarts. "Dammit, Ginny," he said, his voice hoarse. "You understand too well."

Hermione understands too well, Ginny corrected silently. Aloud, she said, "I'm sorry, Draco."

He closed his eyes. "No. You shouldn't have to be sorry. You and I - we aren't about my war with Potter. We never have been and should never have to be." He looked at his feet, at the sky, anywhere but at Ginny. "It's my own damn fault, really. I - I couldn't give it up," he choked.

Suddenly, Ginny was next to him, holding him, kissing him. He melded into her, his kisses passionate and needy and filled with all the emotion of loss. They broke apart after minutes had passed, both of them breathing hard. Ginny's hands found Draco's.

"My love is stronger," he said finally, and this time, he met her eyes. "I promise."

"True love always is," said Ginny wryly, and he bent to kiss her again.

(&)

"Are you ready to go down now?"

Ginny closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. Her features were no longer illuminated by the sunset; stars shone above them. Night had fallen.

It was time.

"Yes," Ginny replied, and her fingers intertwined themselves with Draco's. "Yes, I can face them now."

They descended the stairs together, the warmth of one seeping into the other. The simple presence of Draco steadied Ginny's heart; as long as he stood beside her and fought with her, she knew that they would win.

Win? Ginny thought to herself. What are we fighting? Why must it be a battle? But somehow, she knew this night could never pass peacefully. Ron... and Harry... they had too much pride to fall so easily. They would yell and fight until they were hoarse and weary, and even beyond that moment. They would never give in. Ginny's hope faltered... but Draco squeezed her hand, and suddenly, anything was possible.

The Entrance Hall was in sight. It was empty; music and the sounds of laughing students drifted from the Great Hall. Everyone was inside; the Masque had begun.

Ginny looked at Draco one last time before the chaos began. He seemed distant, lost in his own world, but when he met her eyes, he was back to earth.

"I'm ready," he whispered.

"No duel," Ginny reminded him, and he nodded slowly, deliberately. It was settled.

Then, hand in hand, Draco and Ginny entered the Great Hall.

(&)

Silence. Chilling, brutal emptiness.

Ginny would rather everyone had started screaming.

Only Draco's warm hand in her own gave Ginny the strength to look at her brother. He had just spewed out a gulp of butterbeer onto his table; his face was the color of radishes, and the look of indignant horror on his face was more intensely emotional than Ginny had ever seen. For a moment it was hard to tell whether the heart beating so quickly in her ears was her own or Ron's, audible from across the hall.

But Harry. Harry.

Suffice it to say that Ron had nothing on Harry.

Then Draco was squeezing Ginny's hand, drawing her eyes back to his own gentle, beautifully not angry face. Neither of them could find it in themselves to smile, but they didn't have to; the love was in their eyes. Their footsteps echoed as they crossed the hall, followed closely by the wide eyes of the watching students. Even Time was holding its breath as they faced the tiny circular table where Ron, Harry, and Hermione sat.

Then came the reckoning.

(&)

"What the bloody fuck is going on?" Ron's question was more growls than words, as he was speaking through clenched teeth.

"I'm in love with Malfoy," Ginny explained, surprised at the evenness in her voice.

Ron blinked. He glanced at Malfoy. Then he turned to Hermione and repeated, "What the bloody fuck is going on?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "Well, you see, Ron... Ginny's in l-love with Malfoy..."

Something snapped in Ron. "I'M. GOING. TO. KILL. HIM."

He made a wild leap over the table, got his foot caught on the extra chair, fell onto Harry, managed to get himself upright, and whirled to face Malfoy... only to find that Ginny had stepped smoothly between them.

"No, Ron," she said simply. "You're going to sit down, shut up, and listen." And with that, she gave him a little shove back to his seat. He was too stunned to protest, but it would not last long. Ginny seized her chance.

"Draco is not going to fight you. He has given up his hatred of you. He has finally recognized what you never could: love is more important. Therefore, Ron, I ask you this: which is more important? Your love for me... or your hatred of Draco?"

Ron opened and closed his mouth several times, as if he were choking on a bone. He finally managed a guttural, strangled noise that was incoherent. Ginny folded her arms across her chest and waited; Draco shifted impatiently behind her; Hermione seemed to be fighting an inward battle on whether or not to reach out and grab Ron's hand; Harry was quivering with so much rage that he could not express it, and remained silent, giving Draco a look that would kill.

Then Ron slumped forward, his head falling into his hands, and the climactic moment ended.

"You're my sister," he half-sobbed, half-choked into his fingers. "You're my little sister, Ginny."

Ginny bit her bottom lip, her confidence cracking for the first time. "Even little sisters have to grow up, Ron," she murmured finally.

He was silent for several long minutes, his eyes still hidden behind his hands. Then Hermione scooted closer to him, her fingers finding his and her eyes offering only comfort and love. He looked up at her touch and met those eyes and the scales seemed to tip. His love, too, needed to be given room to grow; it was time for Ron to make his sacrifice.

His blue eyes flicked to Ginny, though his hand still gripped Hermione's, as if using her as support. "Of course," he whispered, his voice very hoarse. "We all have to grow up."

It was almost a victory; it was almost joyful; Draco and Ginny could almost have celebrated, if not for -

"NO, RON!"

All eyes swivelled to Harry, including the eyes of the other students, still raptly watching the drama play out. He had leapt from his seat, his eyes wild and huge, his breathing heavy and his face pale in his anger.

"Harry -" Ginny murmured.

"YOU!" he spat, directing every ounce of his livid feelings at her. "ALL THE TIME YOU MUST HAVE SPENT IN HIS ARMS - LYING WITH HIM - LOVING HIM..."

Ginny opened her mouth to reply, but this was Draco's turf. "Yes, Potter, she loves me," he said coolly. "But you forget that I love her in return. How could you let this petty feud kill such a beautiful thing?"

"ME?" Harry asked, and he seemed on the verge of angry tears. "ME?! YOU ACCUSE ME WHEN YOU - YOU WERE EVIL, VILE, PATHETIC -"

"I will be the first to admit my pitiful hatred," Draco said, and Ron did a double take, the shock apparent in his face. Unfortunately, it did not have the same affect on Harry.

"Bastard," Harry whispered to him, taking a step toward him.

Draco took a step backward to counter it. "I'm not going to fight you, Potter. Like I say, I've admitting my anger... and that has given me the power to denounce it. From this night onward, I wash my hands of you and your rage. I want to be free to love, Potter."

Ginny looked at Harry with pleading eyes. "You must want to love also, Harry," she murmured. "You have to give up your hatred first."

Harry stiffened, his eyes falling shut with a wince of pain at their words. "I have already loved," he said, so quietly that Ginny could barely hear. "But it was love gone unnoticed."

Ginny felt as if her stomach had turned to rock. Her brain screamed with the horrid realization that Harry - Harry Potter, whom she had spent four years of her life loving with every molecule of her body - loved her.

Harry. Loved. Her.

"Harry," she managed finally. "I'm so, so sorry..."

There was a long moment of excruciating silence. No one seemed to move or breath.

Suddenly, Harry stepped forward, taking the collar of Draco's robes in his hands. "You now have everything I ever wanted," he growled. "My hatred is all I have left." Then he turned abruptly, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, and marched from the hall, all eyes following him as he left.

The doors slamming behind him marked another period of stunned silence. Hermione was squeezing Ron's hand so hard that it hurt; Ginny and Draco were lost in each other's eyes again, sharing some profound message that no one else would ever understand.

Then, reality dawned.

Ginny spun around and faced Ron, searching for something in his eyes. Whether it was permission, mercy, or forgiveness, only the two of them would know, but find it she did. She flashed him an exuberant, amazed, overwhelmed smile before racing into Draco's arms.

They stood in the center of the hall, each rejoicing with the other, each giving the other protection and relief. After several minutes like this, Draco's white head bowed over Ginny's red one, an odd sound came to their ears.

Ginny looked up, bewildered, to see her own puzzlement mirrored on Draco's face. They looked out at the other students, still holding one another, only to discover that everyone was applauding. Some people had leapt to their feet; whistles could be heard; smiles and laughter painted the faces of people in each of the four houses. Ginny and Draco could not believe the sight.

That was when the truth really hit them. They had all grown tonight, even Harry, though he had chosen to grow in a different way. That growth had allowed for beautiful new things to evolve, one of which... was love. Specifically, the love that Draco and Ginny would forever after share. That moment, with all of Hogwarts rejoicing in the love that would no longer be stifled, triggered a lifetime of events that would become sweet, sweet memories.

And then, in front of everyone, Draco and Ginny shared a long, passionate kiss.

(&)