The Bet
Chapter XXV - Holiday Plans
Harry/Draco, Harry/OMC, Harry/OFC, Draco/OFC, Seamus/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Neville/Luna
R/NC-17 | 4,717 words | 2004-present
Beta: IcyAurora, Michelle, and Omi
Summary:AU. Post-war. It all started with a little bet. Draco Malfoy has never been one to back down from a perfectly do-able bet. But when that bet involves Harry Potter? Draco is realising that this bet is not as cut and dry as it seems, nor as easy...
Notes: Written before HBP and DH.
***
Draco, feeling a little nervous and not entirely sure why, walked
through the main thoroughfare of the library, approaching the dark
head hunched over parchment and texts in the back.
“Hello,” he started, waiting for the head to rise.
Harry looked up from his work, smiling at the sight of Draco. “Hey
Draco.”
Draco sat down at the unspoken invitation and leaned forward. Harry’s
eyebrow raised and he leaned in a little too, wondering what to expect
next.
“Harry…I was wondering what your plans for the Hols were.”
“The holiday?” Harry asked, looking surprised. “Um…I
hadn’t really thought about it. I suppose I’ll be spending
it with the Weasleys, though it’ll be a bit odd without Ron or
Hermione there.”
“So they will be gone on their honeymoon, then?”
“Yes. Draco, why are you asking?”
“Well, I… I’m going back to the Manor for the first
time in a few years, you know, to go through things, and no one will
be there, and so I was hoping,” Draco took a breath and exhaled
quickly, “that you might like to stay with me.”
Harry’s mouth parted in shock. He hadn’t been expecting
an invitation to Malfoy Manor. He quickly tried to imagine having Christmas
in a big mansion, probably filled with dust and old portraits with
temperaments like Mrs. Black, and a small supper made by house elves
and dark corridors, and just the two of them: Harry and Draco, versus
a Christmas full of puddings, and laughter, and shiny faery lights
and bright wrapping paper and lots of people crowded around a table…and
he didn’t know if he could combine the two such different images.
Draco, picking up on Harry’s hesitation said, “I mean,
if you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’m sure it’ll
be a lot different than an affair with all the red-heads. No Molly
Weasley at the stove all day or anything. I can cook something passable
for Christmas supper though,” he added, smiling shyly at the
table.
Harry smiled, chuckling. “Yes, I’m sure it would be very
different. I’d like to, Draco. We can’t have you being
alone in that big house all by yourself, can we?”
Draco nodded, feeling very satisfied. “Raven will be by at some
point, and I was thinking, if we can clean the place up enough, that
we can have a New Years party…you know, loosen up before our
last term…”
Harry’s grin grew. “That sounds like fun.” His smile
fell as he thought of Mikhail. “I…I should probably make
sure Mikhail doesn’t have plans for us, though…”
Harry didn’t miss the dark look in Draco’s eyes at the
mention of his boyfriend. “He could come to the party, if he
wanted.” The invitation obviously didn’t extend for the
whole holiday.
“Well…I think we both know he wouldn’t want to,
but I’ll ask. I’ve actually been wondering if he was going
to ask me to his family’s house for the holiday.”
“But I asked you first,” Draco said, mentally smacking
his forehead at hearing how stupid and petulant he just sounded.
But Harry took it in stride. “Yes, you did. I might have to
make a compromise. I’ll ask him, and make him understand I have
to be there for you. You’re my friend, and you’ll be all
alone, and that’s not right.”
Draco smiled. “Thanks, Harry.”
“No problem, Draco. I always wondered where you lived and what
it was like.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Even when I hated you.”
Draco preened, tossing his hair. “Well, I have always
been enviable.”
Harry rolled his eyes. “You think so? In what department?”
“All of them. Looks, charm, wit, intelligence, wealth, stature…skill
with a broomstick…” Draco emphasised, throwing Harry
a meaningful look that implied he was talking about more than Quidditch.
Arching an eyebrow, Harry replied, “I was always better than
you in that department.”
“Really?” the blond challenged.
Enjoying the banter, though knowing he shouldn’t, Harry said, “You
know I am.”
Both smiling, they chuckled nervously; both feeling a little on edge
at the flirtation, neither knowing where it was coming from, and one
of them not entirely willing to admit that it was something he might
want. Harry was sticking to his decision, and he didn’t want
to lead Draco on, hoping that the blond understood exactly where they
needed to stand with each other, even if Harry wasn’t exactly
sure if that’s where he wanted them to stand himself.
***
After Quidditch practice, Harry shot Draco a meaningful look, and
stayed outside the locker room to talk to Mikhail.
“Hey you,” Mikhail said, slinging an arm around Harry’s
shoulders and smiling softly down at him.
“Hey. Let’s sit down.” Mikhail led them over to
a bench that was situated on the edge of the pitch. “I wanted
to talk to you about the holiday,” Harry said as they sat, straddling
the bench and facing each other.
“Yeah…I was going to ask you to come stay with me and
my family. I want you to meet my mum and my cousins. I think you’ll
like Michaela, Nikolai and Ana.”
“Well, you see…Draco’s already asked me to go stay
with him.”
“He has.” Mikhail’s voice implied that he was not
happy about that bit of information.
“Yes. He’s going back to Malfoy Manor for the first time
in years, and he’ll be alone, going through his family’s
things. I want to be there for him. He shouldn’t be alone on
Christmas.”
Mikhail’s jaw twitched, which Harry recognized as a sign that
he agreed with Harry, but didn’t want to admit it. “How
about we make a deal.”
“A deal?”
“Yes. You spend Christmas with me. Then you can spend New Years
at Malfoy’s.”
“But he shouldn’t be alone at Christmas-”
Mikhail held up a hand. “I’m not saying he should either.
But I’m your boyfriend, and I think I should get first priority
here.” He leaned forward and lifted Harry’s chin up with
a gentle hand, kissing him slowly on the mouth. “I want you with
me on Christmas.”
Harry bit his lip adorably. “I want to be with you too…but
Mikhail, my friends are really important to me.”
“I understand that, Harry. I know you know I don’t like
Malfoy, but at least I’m letting him steal you away from me for
the New Year. I could just say no.”
Not feeling completely right about the situation, but not really feeling
like he had any better choices other than fighting, which he didn’t
want to do, he nodded. “Okay. I’ll let Draco know.”
Mikhail smiled and kissed Harry again. “It’s gonna suck,
not being able to kiss you at midnight.”
“I’ll be thinking about you,” Harry replied, leaning
into an embrace. “But you don’t own me, you know,” he
said, feeling he needed to get that point across. “If you’d
have said no, I wouldn’t have gone home with you at all.”
“Is that so?” Mikhail said, running his hands down Harry’s
back and through his hair.
“Yes, that’s so.” Harry pulled back and put on his ‘I’m-making-a-point-and-not-moving-from-it’ face. “You
know I like you, Mikhail, but I can’t be owned. All I’ve
ever wanted is to do what I wanted to do…not something
dictated by others. So, just because you’re my boyfriend, does
not mean you can tell me what to do.”
Mikhail chuckled. “That’s what I love about you.” He
pulled Harry close and kissed him again, deeper this time, and they
sat there for many minutes, enjoying the feeling of each other’s
mouths.
As they pulled away, Mikhail murmured, “I was thinking of letting
Draco play this weekend.”
Harry looked surprised. “Really?”
“Yes,” the Captain said, nodding. “He did really
well in Germany, despite our loss. And he did well in practice today
and last week.”
Harry arched an eyebrow. “You’re not trying to win brownie
points with me, are you?”
“Me? Of course not,” Mikhail laughed, pulling Harry close
to him once again, and watched the last of the sunset disappear from
the sky, turning everything into shades of black and dark blue.
Harry sighed a little against Mikhail’s chest, wondering what
the older man was up to, if anything, but glad he at least came to
a compromise with him about Draco. He had expected to have to fight
him about the idea. He shivered in the late October cold, and with
Mikhail, stood and wandered into the locker room, just as most of their
team mates were on their way out.
***
“Come in.”
Harry opened the door to find Draco once more curled on his bed surrounded
by research. “Hey, Draco. I talked to Mikhail.”
“And?” the blond said, looking up from his papers to
smile at Harry.
“And…I’m going to spend Christmas with him and
New Years with you.”
Draco pursed his lips and looked back down to his parchment, scribbling
a note. “I see.”
“He had wanted to invite me to stay with him-”
“I get it, Harry. You had to make a compromise. It’s fine.”
“It doesn’t sound like it’s fine.”
Draco let out a breath and looked up at Harry, staring at him a moment
before smiling tentatively. “At least I get to kiss you at midnight
instead of Chaikovsky.”
Harry let out a laugh under his breath, shaking his head. “Fat
chance, Draco.”
Draco shrugged. “We’ll see after all the alcohol I’m
going to feed you.”
“You really don’t let up, do you?”
Again Draco shrugged. “Sometimes. I’m teasing, Harry.
I’d be happy to have you over for even a little while.”
“Then I’ll be over a little after Christmas, okay?”
“Alright.”
“But you’ll still be alone on Christmas, won’t you?”
“I sorta have a back-up plan with Raven. She’s basically
going to ditch her parents, but we’re going over there for Christmas,
and she’ll be with me the rest of the time. She insisted, even
though I didn’t want her to blow off her parents like that.”
“She loves you; she doesn’t care what her parents think
about that. I wouldn’t.”
Draco narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. “I know.”
“Well, I’ve got to go, so I’ll talk to you later,
okay?”
“Okay. Have a good night, Harry.”
“You too, Draco. Don’t work too hard.”
“If I want to get this thesis done by next term, I’ll
have too.”
Harry just rolled his eyes as he closed the door to Draco’s
room behind him.
***
“Oh Harry! It’s been too long, dear, you really should
stop by or owl us more often…” Molly Weasley said, pulling
Harry into hug he wished he had the will to avoid, but some part of
him loved the near-suffocation every time he met the older lady. She
was the best thing he could come by for a mother, and he couldn’t
wish for anything more.
“I’m sorry, Mrs. Weasley,” he replied, pulling back
and smiling down at her. “Things have been a little crazy lately.”
Mrs. Weasley smiled up at him and rubbed her hands up and down his
arms. “Oh, I’ve heard, dear. How is that handsome boyfriend
of yours doing?”
Harry felt a blush grow on his cheeks. “Er…well, I suppose…”
“Mum! Stop bothering Harry about Mikhail! I let you come today
because you said you had to talk to us about the reception,” Ron
said, turning back from leading Hermione and Ginny into Madam Malkin’s
for robe fittings.
“Ronald, I hardly get to see any of you anymore – all
my babies are grown up. I have a right as a mother to wonder what’s
going on in their lives.” She turned to Harry as they started
walking towards the robe shop. “You know you’re like my
eighth boy, right, Harry?”
“Yes, Mrs. Weasley. You’re the best mum an orphan could
have.” He smiled as a blush grew on Mrs. Weasley’s face
and she became a little flustered.
“Well,” she hedged, smoothing down her skirt. “I
try my best, love.”
“I know you do.”
“You’re coming for Christmas, right? Even though the kids
will be in Greece?” she asked.
“Er…actually, I’ll be spending it with Mikhail.” Harry
tried to ignore the startled glances Ron and Hermione gave him and
the raise of eyebrows from the Weasley women. He hadn’t told
them yet.
“Oh, well, I hope you have fun dear,” Mrs. Weasley said
politely. “You’ll have to stop by for your presents, you
know.”
“I will Mrs. Weasley.”
They entered the shop and adjusted to the dimmer light. The smell
of fabrics and dust was something Harry would never forget from his
first time in Diagon Alley. It was the first time he’d ever had
clothes just for him, and other than the also memorable awkward meeting
of Draco, he treasured that time so long ago when everything was new
to him and he didn’t even know who he was to the rest of the
Wizarding World.
Harry sat down next to Ron, who watched as Ginny went behind the dividers
to get her robes fitted. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione wandered around
the shop, and Mrs. Weasley needled Hermione about the details of the
wedding. Thankfully, Hermione was a detailed-oriented girl, or Harry
wasn’t sure she could have fired back the answers with such grace
and calm.
“Nervous?” Harry asked Ron out of the corner of his mouth.
Ron stopped rubbing his palms against the legs of his jeans. “No…”
Harry grinned. “You’re a terrible liar, Ron.”
“Now why would I be nervous about trying on my wedding robes?”
“Because now you realise just how real this all is.”
Ron swallowed hard and nodded, his eyes roaming the store. “I
still can’t believe sometimes that ‘Mione and I are finally
getting married. I remember when I couldn’t even get up the courage
to ask her out for the first time.”
“I have a feeling she would have eventually knocked up you upside
your head with a cauldron to get your attention.”
“Oh, she’s always had my attention,” Ron said a
little wistfully, his eyes trailing Hermione as she walked around the
shop.
Harry chuckled. “I know.”
Ginny came out from behind the divider, her robes a beautiful minty
green, and even without her hair done, she looked like a beautiful
wood sprite.
Ron and Harry stood, and Hermione and Mrs. Weasley came over to look.
“Oh, Ginny, dear, you look lovely,” her mum breathed.
Hermione jumped a little, clasping her hands. “It’s perfect,
Ginny. You look wonderful.”
Ron just stood there, mouth a little gape, like he had when he had
seen her at the Yule Ball.
“Wow…Ginny…you look…beautiful,” Harry
said, staring at her like he’d forgotten how beautiful she was.
“Stop fussing,” said Ginny, wiggling in place. “The
pins are sticking.”
“I’m sorry dear, but you didn’t let me finish altering…” Madam
Malkin explained.
“No, that’s fine.”
Harry moved forward and took her hands. “Now I feel bad for
never taking notice.”
Ginny blushed and squeezed his hands back. “That’s okay,
Harry. It never would have worked between us anyway,” she said,
smiling ruefully.
Dropping her hands, Harry stepped back and let Ginny disappear from
view again.
“So, Hermione, I made up this list of food for the wedding reception,” Mrs.
Weasley said, bringing them all out of their thoughts. She produced
a very long roll of parchment from her bag and offered it to Hermione.
Hermione took it while the men resumed their seats. Rolling it out,
she didn’t even bat an eyelash as it hit the floor and rolled
past her feet. Harry raised his eyebrows, and Ron rolled his eyes,
frowning.
“Mum, we really don’t need that much food…there
isn’t going to be an army there!”
“Hush, Ronald,” both Mrs. Weasley and Hermione said. They
looked at each other calculatingly for a moment before smiling and
leaning over the list together. Hermione conjured a never-ending-ink
quill from her bag and started crossing things out and making little
scribbles as she and Mrs. Weasley talked to each other in quiet whispers.
“No, we must have that, it’s Ron’s favourite,” Mrs.
Weasley was saying.
“Yes, but he’ll eat anything,” Hermione whispered
back.
Trying not to laugh, Harry looked over to Ron, who was glowering at
the two women. “They’re conspiring against me, Harry.
I just know it.”
“I think you’re being paranoid.”
He snorted. “We’ll see.”
Ginny reappeared, dressed in her normal robes, and Madam Malkin ushered
the two men into the back, leaving the women to their own devices.
Harry stood on the little stool, now towering over the smaller Madam
Malkin, and slipped off his robes to pull on the dark green velvet
ones the seamstress handed him. Ron yanked on the dark blue ones he
had, emerging with his hair more ruffled than usual, and a distinct
choking look on his face as he pulled on the high collar.
“Could you loosen this a bit?” Ron asked, and with a swoosh
of a wand, it was loosened. “Thanks again, Harry,” Ron
said, raising his arms and letting Malkin pin and adjust until the
robes were hanging right.
“For what?” Harry asked, waiting his turn.
“For paying for these. I know they can’t be cheap.”
“Hey, stop that,” Harry said. “I wanted to. And
I don’t care about the price, Ron. My two best friends should
have the most beautiful wedding in the world. They deserve it, more
than any other couple I know.”
Ron, in his usual bashfulness, rubbed the back of his head and smiled. “Thanks,
Harry.”
“It’s my pleasure. You should know by now that I’d
give all the Galleons in my vault to you and your family if they would
accept it. You are my family.”
“We know.”
“And I don’t think any less of you for being proud and
not accepting it. Just know that I’ll help whenever you need
me to.”
Ron nodded, then turned to Harry and gestured to his newly fitted
robes. “What do you think?”
Harry smiled as Madam Malkin moved over to him. “You look like
a man who’s ready to get married to the girl of his dreams.”
Ron grinned widely and hopped off the stool to go show his new robes
to the three women on the other side of the screen. Harry immediately
heard ‘ooh’s and ‘ah’s over Ron, and he was
pretty sure Hermione kissed him when he heard a loud smacking noise,
and Ron saying feverously, “’Mione! Not in front of my
mum!”
Again, Harry followed the madam’s instruction, lifting his arms
there, standing straighter here…waiting patiently as she went
about her work. This was one thing he didn’t feel he had to be
rushed for. He could just stand here and let the woman do her work,
and in minutes he’d have his very own clothes.
When she was finished, Harry hopped down from his own stool and went
out to show everyone. Mrs. Weasley immediately gushed, remarking how
well the fabric matched his eyes. Hermione ran her hand down his arm,
and told Madam Malkin that she would like to see some white trim on
Harry’s robes, and silver on Ginny’s. The woman nodded,
and waited for Harry and Ron to disrobe before setting some scissors
and thread to work on the robes.
Hermione was next, and she passed off the food list to Mrs. Weasley
before Ron could snatch it and disappeared behind the screen. When
she emerged several moments later, still wearing her normal robes,
everyone looked at her oddly. Harry didn’t bat an eyelash.
“Well, we want to see it dear,” Mrs. Weasley said. “Is
it not ready?”
Hermione shook her head. “No, it’s ready.”
“Well, then why didn’t you show us?” the older woman
asked.
“It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the
wedding.”
“It’s a Muggle thing,” Harry put in.
“Don’t worry, Ginny,” she said to the perplexed
girl, “I’ll show you when we get home, okay?”
Ron threw up his hands. “Agh, whatever. I’ve got no say
in anything anyhow.”
Hermione stepped forward and put her hand on Ron’s arm. “That’s
not true. It’s just a thing…a small thing. Believe me.
You’ll want to wait until you see me at the joining ceremony.”
“But you got to see me,” Ron said lamely.
“Yes, but you wouldn’t know if the robes were finished
even if I told you so.”
“Gee…thanks, love.”
“No problem,” she smiled. “Now, we’ve got
to go see the florist, and the magistrate.”
“I’d actually like to go shopping on my own, if you don’t
mind,” Harry said.
“Can I come?” Ginny said.
“Sure.”
“Alright,” said Hermione, and she turned to Madam Malkin. “Will
you be sending these to us?”
“Oh yes, dear, I can do that. I’ll just need the final
payment.”
“I’ve already paid for mine,” Ginny said as Harry
stepped forward.
“I’ll take care of it. Here you go,” he said, once
Madam Malkin gave him the ticket and he deposited some Galleons into
her hand. “Thank you.”
“It’s no problem, dear. My pleasure.”
Harry nodded, walking across the store to join his friends and family
at the door. He bid her a wave goodbye and left the store; giving Ron,
Hermione and Mrs. Weasley a wave goodbye also, they branched off and
went their separate ways. Mrs. Weasley reminded him to floo over more
often, and Harry promised he would try.
“So, what kind of shopping are you planning on doing, Harry?” Ginny
asked as they started down the narrow cobblestone.
“Wedding, mostly,” he said, smiling. “But I should
probably start on Christmas as well. I have no idea what to get Draco
or Mikhail.”
“How’s that going, by the way?”
Harry sighed heavily, rubbing his face and running his hands through
his hair. “Oh, fuck, I don’t know.”
Ginny chuckled. “That bad, huh?”
“This has got to be the most fucked up situation I’ve
ever been in, Gin,” Harry said with some trepidation, realising
at the last minute that Ginny didn’t know about what had really
happened between him and Draco.
“And coming from you…that’s saying something,” she
replied as they stepped into a gift shop.
“It is. I really like Mikhail, so I don’t know why this
is so difficult.”
“I’m thinking it’s because he hates Draco?”
“Well, yes, but even Ron’s been able to get past that.
For the most part.”
“Don’t forget the rest of your friends, Harry,” she
said, wandering around the collectibles.
Harry nodded, following her. “Yes, I know. You guys have all
be great. Accepting Draco, I mean.”
Ginny nodded. “And Mikhail doesn’t have that background,
though, does he? I’m betting, from his point of view, that Draco’s
just as annoying as he always has been to us. I mean, Malfoy hasn’t
changed that much, Harry. He’s still an annoying, self-centred
prat.”
Harry had to smile at that. “Yes, I suppose he is. Though he
doesn’t annoy me…except when he does, if that makes any
sense.”
Ginny said, “Well, it doesn’t, but I think I know what
you mean.”
“He doesn’t like Mikhail, either.”
“I’ve gathered that from Hermione.”
“You guys talk about me?”
“We’re girls, Harry. Of course we talk about you.”
“Anything else I need to know?”
Ginny shook her head. “Not that I know of. I mean…is there
something I should know?”
“What do you mean?” Harry said, picking up an inscribed
silver serving spoon from a set and looking at it with more interest
than was necessary.
“Harry, I know people keep their secrets. That’s fine.
In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a whole slough
of things you’ve never told anybody. I don’t care about
that. What I care about is you, and how you’re handling whatever is going
on that the rest of us don’t know about. I don’t care what
it is. I just want to make sure you’re okay and not in over your
head.”
Harry nodded, setting the spoon down. “Thanks, Ginny. That means
a lot. I’m just…not really willing to talk about it to
anyone. But I’m fine, despite what I said outside. Yes, this
situation is fucked up, but it’s not impossible. I’ve been
through worse. Much different, but worse.”
“I don’t need to send a bat-bogey hex at any male of the
student body, do I?” Ginny pulled out her wand and fingered
it suggestively.
Harry laughed. “No, no. Not yet, anyhow. It’s mainly just
got to do with Draco and Mikhail hating each other and acting like
children about it. I just want Mikhail to accept Draco like you guys
do, you know?”
Ginny nodded, putting her wand away. “I understand. He’s
been a big part of your life, lately.”
“Yeah, he has,” Harry said with a hidden smile. “So,
how’s it going with you and Seamus? I haven’t really talked
to either of you lately.”
“Oh, we’re doing fine,” Ginny said, looking at a
little tree that mimicked the weather outside. Currently, it was nearly
leafless, its tiny leaves sitting around its base, and it was swaying
slightly in a phantom wind, casting long shadows, as it was getting
later in the afternoon.
“That’s good,” Harry said, and noticed a little
charm box that had a card above it reading ‘A couple puts
all their thoughts and love inside, keeping what’s written within
alive.’ “Hey, Gin, what do you think about this?” and
he gestured her over.
Ginny looked at it and at the small wooden box, intricately carved
with Celtic love knots and runes of longevity. “It’s beautiful,
Harry. I think you should get it. It’ll do my brother good to
write what’s in his head down.”
Harry smiled ruefully, picking it up. “Alright. I’ll get
it.” He took it to the counter near the front of the store and
set it on the counter. “I’d like to buy this, please.”
“Would you like it gift-wrapped?” the young clerk asked.
“Yes, please.”
Harry watched as the man whipped his wand through the air, sending
silver tissue paper sailing over and wrapping the circular box nicely,
topped with shiny dark red ribbon and placed in a square box which
was also wrapped in a similar fashion.
“That’ll be 15 Galleons, 5 Sickles, and 2 Knuts.”
Harry counted the coins from his pouch and handed them over, thanking
the clerk with a bright smile as he took the bag with the gift inside
from him. “Thank you.”
“My pleasure, Harry Potter. Please, visit us again.”
Harry’s expression was startled for a second before he smiled. “I
will.” The clerk winked at him and he and Ginny left the shop.
“He flirted with you,” Ginny said, smiling to herself.
“What? He did not!”
“Oh, Harry…you’re still so naïve.”
“Oi, watch it. I’m older than you, and better with a wand.”
“I’m sure you are,” she replied, snickering.
“Oh, shut up,” Harry jabbed back playfully, taking the
suggestive comment how it was intended. “It’s not like
I’m that experienced. In anything,” he added.
Ginny put a hand on his arm. “Oh, Harry, don’t think less
of yourself because of that. I’m sure Ron still thinks I’m
a naïve virgin.”
“You’re not?”
But Ginny caught the laughter in his eyes. “No, of course not,
silly. You caught me and Seamus snogging, remember?”
Harry’s face turned red. “Yeah, I remember.” Then
he laughed. “I also remember your faces when you saw Draco! That
was hilarious!”
“Very funny, Harry. Anyhow, Ron would probably kill Seamus if
he knew what he’s done to his ‘poor naïve little sister’.
God knows he’d have killed Dean if he wasn’t already gone.”
“You loved, Dean, didn’t you?”
Ginny nodded. “Yes. A part of me still feels a little strange,
being with his best friend, but it was a long time ago, and Seamus
and I are happy. I know that’s what Dean would have wanted. Seamus
grew on me, you know?”
Harry nodded. “I’d want my boyfriend or girlfriend to
be happy if I died, too.”
“Hm. Well, enough about that, the memorial is in February...we
should prepare for that too. But first, let’s get us some early
Christmas shopping done!” Ginny clapped her hands and took off
down the alley, her bright autumn hair bouncing with her swift gait.
Harry rolled his eyes and chased after her, enjoying the rest of his
day with no worries on his mind whatsoever.
|
