Ginny Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Chapter Three - Malfoys Don't Kiss Weasleys - Do They?

Ginny's house was a bit crowded.

Hermione was bouncing Elizabeth, Ginny's three-year-old daughter, on her knee while her husband was pretending to steal the child's nose.

Edwin DePorter, a former Auror who had once worked with Ron and Draco, was studying a picture over the fireplace as his wife, Patricia, helped Molly Weasley set out plates. Edwin was somewhat exhausted; he had spent much of the day chasing Elizabeth around the field and doing tricks and stunt falls for her.

Draco walked up to where Hermione was sitting, and tried to ask her about the defensive wards around the house. He did have the decency to keep his voice low, but Hermione was still slightly annoyed that Draco kept harping on his security concerns. "Hermione...you say the wards work on people who are malicious. I suppose wanting to plaster Sirius' face all over the papers isn't malicious?"

"No, Draco, it's not. That fool most likely was dreaming of a big payoff for bring in pictures of Sirius, but he had no desire to physically harm anyone. Hence, the wards didn't work. Honestly, Draco, it's VERY difficult to configure spells that recognize emotional states or desires, and I would love to see you try it. Now, shoo and eat!" Hermione gave Draco a playful shove and he went to sit at the table.

"Mom, we had a ton of food at the picnic and now we have to eat all of this?" Molly made a face at Ginny as she scooped more potatoes onto Ron's plate, who had already devoured his first serving.

Elizabeth furrowed up her little face - Draco was suddenly reminded of a fierce eleven year old girl who had once told him off in a bookstore, a million years ago - and sputtered at Ginny, "I wanna eat more from grandma! Don't you be mean to grandma!"

The adults laughed, and Ginny blushed as the younger Sirius walked up to see what the fuss was about. At the sound of the laughter, Elizabeth's frown disappeared and she grinned a wide, toothy smile that made it clear that the little girl loved attention. Sirius rolled his eyes and went to jump on Draco's back. "Ow...ow...Sirius...my hair! Ouch! Be careful!"

Ron laughed. He leaned close, so no one else could hear, and whispered to Draco, "You took down three Death Eaters last week and I didn't see you so scared."

Draco leaned back over, as Sirius swung around his neck and landed in his lap "Never underestimate the raw power of a five-year old. I tell you, if Voldemort figures a way to recruit toddlers and small children we've had it."

Unfortunately, Draco had spoken a bit too loudy. Ginny strode up to him and planted herself barely a foot away, and looked up, her brown eyes bright and combatively shiny. Her hands appeared to be balled on her hips - Draco was just a bit too distracted to notice that Ginny had surreptitiously slipped her fingers into her pocket and withdrawn a pellet about half the size of a marble.

"Draco Malfoy. Are you saying that you would rather face the minions of evil instead of my adorable, perfect children?"

Draco stammered, helplessly, but before he could properly frame his response Ginny shoved the pellet into his mouth and everyone gasped as Draco turned into a ferret.

"GINNY! Did I teach you to turn your guests into farm animals?" Molly's outrage was interrupted by Hermione.

"Actually, Molly, ferrets are not technically considered farm animals. They were domesticated about two thousand years ago, but seem to serve no purpose. Much like Draco, actually. Well, Draco hasn't been domesticated yet, either. They do make great pets, though." Hermione had an innocent look on her face as she picked up the squirming ferret - she had never known that a ferret could give someone a dirty look, but she shrugged and put the Malfoy ferret back on the couch.

"Ginny, I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you." Ron was looking angry.

"Why? Because I turned your partner-in-crime into an animal?"

"No, because thanks to you, Draco can now go around saying that my wife held him while he was naked. Undoubtedly a step up from his usual conquests to be sure."

"RON! There are CHILDREN present!" Molly's latest attempt to chastise someone was not quite as effective now that she had also developed a case of giggles.

"I don't know, sometimes I think Ginny's kids are more mature than most of the adults here." Edwin made his observation with a wry grin at Ginny, who was suddenly distracted by the reappearance of Draco Malfoy.

Draco's hair was now most decidedly needing a trip to a mirror and a rendezvous with a comb. Strangely, Malfoy didn't seem angry.

"As I was saying before the lovely Mrs. Potter interrupted me, far be it from me to seek out a conflict with a Potter. My feelings are only reinforced by the fact that this is the second time an encounter with an angry Potter has resulted in me becoming a ferret." Draco thought that this occasion was happier than when Barty Crouch, disguised as Mad Eye Moody, had changed him into a ferret in retaliation for an attempt to blindside Harry Potter with a curse in their school days.

Ginny leaned forward again, kissing Draco gently on the cheek before whispering in his ear, "Thanks for being a good sport about this." She smiled at him, and Draco felt himself flushing, just a bit, much to his horror. Widow of his friend or not, Ginny Potter was quite possibly the most attractive woman Draco had ever met, freckles and all, and a part of him was always on guard around her.

Ron, however, had known Draco for much too long, even if Draco was very good at hiding a blush despite his pale skin. A flash of pique shot through him before he decided to respond with humor.

"Draco, Draco. First you crawl up to my wife as a ferret, then you charm a kiss out of my sister. If I didn't know you better, I'd say you had a thing for Weasleys."

Draco suddenly looked solemnly down at his feet, and then looked up at Ron with a pained expression. He put his hands on Ron's shoulders and stood before him, and looked straight into his eyes.

"Ron. This...is difficult for me. You don't know what it's like, living a lie, hiding your feelings. Being so close to someone so special, yet unable to do anything. You know how much your family, especially your sister, means to me. But there's something you don't know." Ron's eyes widened with obvious horror, as Draco continued. "You're right. I love those Weasleys!"

At that, Draco grabbed Ron by the ears and kissed him on the lips with a loud smack, and then immediately released him, spun around and jumped over a chair and ran out the door. Ginny Potter started laughing so hard that she had to grab Edwin for support, but he was laughing too, and they both collapsed on the floor overcome with laughter. Sirius Potter looked at his sister, and without a word each Potter child flung themselves at each adult in the room in turn, kissing them in an exaggerated way.

Ron, whose face had passed bright red and was rapidly turning the color of magenta, had whipped out his wand and set off in pursuit of Draco, casting an assortment of curses. Hermione called out after them.

"Ron, don't run off! Is Malfoy a better kisser than me?"

The last comment caused Molly to give up any pretense of maternal order- keeping, and she sunk into another chair, gasping for air as she laughed. Ginny looked at her mother, who was now being fanned by little Sirius and Elizabeth, both of whom had managed to acquire thin books and were waving them with great abandon in Molly's direction. Hermione looked a trifle irritated at books being put to non-standard uses, but quickly gave up that pretense and went in pursuit of her husband. Ginny caught Edwin's eye, and saw a wistfulness there. She wondered if he knew what she was thinking - this is the first truly happy day I've had since Harry died.