Saving Each Other

Epilogue

Ginny spent the morning with the clean-up crew assigned to the Great Hall. Apparently, Voldemort had tampered with other parts of the castle as well and Draco was assigned to one of the other clean-up sites. Harry, Ron and Hermione were assigned to the Great Hall as well, as supervisors since they were all prefects and in their seventh year.

Ginny looked over at them now and smiled at what she saw. All three were standing together up behind the staff table. Ron was standing behind Hermione, his arms around her waist, clasped at her stomach with her hands on top of his, Harry standing right next to them. This was the pose Ginny saw Ron and Hermione in most often since the battle. It seemed as if Ron thought that if he wasn't in physical contact with Hermione that she might just disappear. Ginny smiled as she watched her brother and his girlfriend. She was completely convinced that they were going to get married someday.

Ginny looked around the Great Hall and, seeing that for the most part it was back to normal, she checked her watch. Draco hadn't said what time to meet but she figured that he'd head out to the lake as soon as he was done with his clean-up duty.

Might as well just go and wait for him by the lake, Ginny thought as she left the Great Hall. She stepped out of the castle into the bright sunshine. Because of the sunshine, the December day didn't seem quite as cold. She looked out towards the lake as she ambled towards it, scanning the banks for Draco.

He was already there, standing on the bank close to the place where he had saved her from drowning. She smiled and picked up her pace. He turned when he heard her approaching and a genuine smile lit up his face. She was about five paces away when her foot caught on something and she fell face first in the snow.

Draco ran over to her, concern etched into his features, but when he had helped her up, he found her laughing hysterically. Soon he joined in as well, relieving any tension left over from their recent ordeal.

When their laughter subsided, Ginny snuggled closer to Draco and closed her eyes with a contented sigh. Draco embraced her back and they stood like that for a long minute until a quiet chuckle from Ginny broke the silence.

"What?" Draco asked, smiling down at her.

Ginny lifted her head so she could look into his steel-gray eyes and said, "I just realized I never thanked you for saving my life."

"I suppose you didn't. How ungrateful," he sniffed in mock hurt.

"Well, I'm sorry," Ginny said and placed a kiss on his pouting lips.

She pulled away and said, "And thank you for saving me," and placed another kiss on his lips.

After she had pulled away, Draco looked at her and lifted an eyebrow saying, "I should save you more often."

She smiled, gave him another quick kiss and turned around in his arms so her back was leaning against his chest. After standing there for a minute in the crisp December air, Draco broke the silence by saying, "And thank you."

Ginny turned her head and looked at him quizzically, "For what?"

Draco smiled. "For saving me."

"From Voldemort?" she asked, a slight smile on her lips. "Anyone would have saved you if it meant killing Voldemort."

"Not just from Voldemort, although I do thank you for that," he said, his expression getting more serious.

"What else then?" she asked, genuinely curious.

He looked down at her with an intense serious expression on his face as he said, "You saved me not only from Voldemort, but from my father." He paused and laughed. "Hell, you saved me from myself."

She smiled and wrinkled her nose as she said, "I did all that."

Draco leaned down and kissed her. When he pulled back he added, "All that and so much more."

"I love you Draco."

"I love you Ginny."