(A/N: This chapter was not beta-ed either.)
One Good Virtue
Ginny cast her eyes down. She moved out of Draco’s arms and turned to pull on her clothes.
Ginny had pulled on her skirt and was beginning to button her blouse when Draco realized she wasn’t going to say anything.
He moved forward, gently grabbed her by the waist, and turned her to face him. Her hands were shaking and her fingers fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. Draco gently brushed her hands away and slowly buttoned the blouse for her. As he did so he said, "I know it wasn’t because of your family. Because if that were the case, you wouldn’t have gotten involved with me in the first place. You know who I am. You know how I was raised. So you know I would have asked your father properly for your hand in marriage, anyway." Draco had finished the buttoning and began to straighten the imaginary creases of the blouse. "You know my mother will love you, and you know I can very well protect you and her from my father. So, why did you say no?"
When Ginny said nothing, Draco lifted her chin once more, and asked her, "You’re afraid to marry me, aren’t you?" The look in Ginny’s eyes gave him her silent answer. He felt unfamiliar shoots of pain ripple through his chest. He paused, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he found tears brimming Ginny’s eyes. "We love each other, Ginny. You know that. Why are you afraid of marrying me?"
Draco used his thumbs to swipe away the tears that began to slide down Ginny’s cheeks. She hesitated before answering him. "I-I over heard a couple of girls in the Gryffindor common room a couple of weeks back. T-they said that Slytherin men were accustomed t-to being unfaithful and some even b-beat their wives," said Ginny, stuttering through her tears. "I-I know you love me, but I-I just can’t help but think, what if that happened t-to me, u-us?"
Draco allowed his hands to fall from her face to her waist. He gripped her possessively and brought her closer to him. Ginny, once again, cast her eyes down.
"Look at me, Ginny," said Draco firmly.
Ginny sniffled and slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "If there is one good virtue that the Malfoy men have, it’s being faithful to their wives. Yes, my father yelled at my mother, yes, he threatened her, and yes, he did it more than just a few times. But he never laid a finger on her and was never unfaithful." Draco’s eyes were pleading. "As un-Malfoy-ish as I may sound, I will never hurt you, Ginny. In anyway, shape, or form. I swear it on my life."
For a long time Ginny searched his eyes and saw no trace of falsehood. She smiled a small genuine smile and hugged him. She rose to the tip of her toes and said softly into his right ear, "Ask me again."
Draco pulled back, just far enough to look into Ginny’s eyes. He removed a slender black box from his robes pocket and opened it. Inside were the two pins of the lion and the serpent. He placed both pins in his right hand and tossed the box aside. He brought his hand up so that it was at Ginny’s eye level, and, once again, the eyes of both pins glowed and were replaced by a stunning diamond ring.
"Will you marry me, Ginny?" Draco asked softly.
"Of course I will, Draco," Ginny smiled up at him.
Draco couldn’t help the stupid grin of happiness that crawled its way onto his face. He went in to give her another passionate kiss.
Ginny stopped him. "You do know that you’re supposed to slip the ring onto my finger before we snog, don’t you? It is called the post-proposal snog for a reason, you know."
Michael was already waiting for Ginny outside the door to the Room of Requirement.
He was grinning like mad, "Hey, Gin. Enjoy your shower?"
Ginny elbowed him roughly in the stomach.
"Hey! What was--"
"Yes, Michael. I enjoyed it very much."
As they were making their way toward the Great Hall, Ginny told Michael about what happened in the girls’ dressing room that afternoon, but omitted the significant fact that Draco had re-proposed and that she had said yes.
The Great Hall was adorned with the traditional annual Halloween decor. Pumpkins--some with goofy faces and others with sinister ones--and candles floated above the students and staff.
Draco Malfoy walked through the tall oak doors of the Great Hall. The pointing and whispering, as expected, began immediately.
"Where are they?" Ron was tapping his foot, waiting impatiently for Michael to arrive with Ginny, all the while staring daggers at Draco.
Hermione turned to regard her boyfriend. "Perhaps they’re getting re-acquainted?" Hermione whispered into Ron’s ear. She wasn’t exactly lying. She had no doubt in her mind that Michael and Ginny were catching up and all, just not in the way Ron would hope.
"Yeah, you’re probably right," Ron turned to look at Hermione and then at Harry. He was smiling quite jubilantly. "I always did like that Corner boy."
"Of course you have, Ron," said Hermione. She and Harry both looked at each other and hid their knowing grins as they sipped their respective goblets.
It was then that Michael and Ginny entered the Great Hall, arm in arm, laughing.
The majority of the hall froze as they saw the two walk in. Only a very select few knew of Michael’s homosexuality, so everyone was quite surprised to see them walk in as they did.
Ron’s smile widened and his chest had puffed out--both of which were gestures that showed he approved of what he saw. He looked over at Draco with a triumphant glare. Ron was surprised to see that Draco was watching Michael lead Ginny to her brother’s side with mild amusement.
"And here’s your dear sister, Mr. Weasley," said Michael, bowing slightly to Harry and Hermione before heading to the Ravenclaw table.
Before anyone else could say anything, Dumbledore had risen from his seat to make his annual pre-Halloween feast speech. Ginny fiddled with her right ring finger while she snuck glances at Draco across the hall. No one seemed to notice the glimmering diamond that adorned it.
At the Burrow, Bill was alone in the kitchen with his mother. They had just finished tidying up after dinner when Bill sat his mother down at the kitchen table and brought up the delicate subject of her daughter and her ‘unsuitable’ boyfriend.
"No, I will hear no more of it, Bill. Your sister cannot see him," she practically yelled.
"Mum, be reasonable now," Bill tried to quiet her down.
"Reasonable? What do you mean ‘be reasonable’? My daughter has been brainwashed to think she is in love with a Malfoy. I will be damned before I allow this to go any further!"
"Mum, she hasn’t been brainwashed. She truly does love him. Just give Malfoy a chance, that’s all Ginny’s asking for," said Bill.
"It isn’t possible for a Malfoy and a Weasley to fall in love," Mrs. Weasley snapped at her eldest son.
"Why’s that?" asked Bill.
"Because Malfoys and Weasleys know better than to allow themselves to." Mrs. Weasley froze and blanched as she realised what she had just said.
"I thought you always said that you couldn’t choose who you fall in love with," Bill said, knowing he had touched something. "Have you ever even seen Ginny and Malfoy together, Mum? Even though he’ll most likely deny it, even Ron saw the bond between them. Did you know Ginny’s been a complete mess since you and dad left the castle? I know it’s only been a few hours, but Ron owled that she hasn’t spoken a single word. She doesn’t do anything, but stare out the windows in the Gryffindor common room."
Mrs. Weasley looked down at her hands, which rested on top of the table. She took a deep breath. Her eyes began to water and she shook her head as she looked up at her son. "Are you sure about them, Bill? I’ve worked too hard to keep my baby happy. I won’t be able to forgive myself if she ever gets hurt."
"Mum, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure," Bill took his mother’s hands in his.
Mrs. Weasley smiled through her tear brimmed eyes. "I’ll try and talk to your father, then."
"I’m sure Ginny will really appreciate that, Mum."
They both were in the process of getting up from the table when a beautiful white bird began to tap at the window. Bill and Mrs. Weasley looked at each other for a moment before Bill finally went over to the window and let the bird in.
As soon as the window opened, it flew elegantly into the kitchen and landed right before Mrs. Weasley on the kitchen table. The bird stuck out its left leg to bring their attention to an expensive and elegant looking piece of parchment. Mrs. Weasley hesitantly removed the parchment from the birds leg. Once she did, the bird gracefully took off through the opened window.
Once the bird could no longer be seen, Mrs. Weasley looked back at the piece of parchment she held within her hands. There was no envelope, so she flipped it over to see that the folds were held closed by an old fashioned seal. A seal which happened to be in the shape of the Malfoy Crest.
Bill noticed this as well and asked, "What do you think she has to say about this whole thing?"
"What makes you so sure she even knows?" Molly asked, quietly.
"Of course, she knows. Why else would Narcissa Malfoy owl you?"
"I don’t know." Molly sat down and broke the seal.
"Well, what does it say?" Bill asked as she saw her mum re-read the letter for the fifth time.
"She’s invited me for tea, next weekend. At the Malfoy Manner."
(A/N: Please review.)
One Good Virtue
Ginny cast her eyes down. She moved out of Draco’s arms and turned to pull on her clothes.
Ginny had pulled on her skirt and was beginning to button her blouse when Draco realized she wasn’t going to say anything.
He moved forward, gently grabbed her by the waist, and turned her to face him. Her hands were shaking and her fingers fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. Draco gently brushed her hands away and slowly buttoned the blouse for her. As he did so he said, "I know it wasn’t because of your family. Because if that were the case, you wouldn’t have gotten involved with me in the first place. You know who I am. You know how I was raised. So you know I would have asked your father properly for your hand in marriage, anyway." Draco had finished the buttoning and began to straighten the imaginary creases of the blouse. "You know my mother will love you, and you know I can very well protect you and her from my father. So, why did you say no?"
When Ginny said nothing, Draco lifted her chin once more, and asked her, "You’re afraid to marry me, aren’t you?" The look in Ginny’s eyes gave him her silent answer. He felt unfamiliar shoots of pain ripple through his chest. He paused, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, he found tears brimming Ginny’s eyes. "We love each other, Ginny. You know that. Why are you afraid of marrying me?"
Draco used his thumbs to swipe away the tears that began to slide down Ginny’s cheeks. She hesitated before answering him. "I-I over heard a couple of girls in the Gryffindor common room a couple of weeks back. T-they said that Slytherin men were accustomed t-to being unfaithful and some even b-beat their wives," said Ginny, stuttering through her tears. "I-I know you love me, but I-I just can’t help but think, what if that happened t-to me, u-us?"
Draco allowed his hands to fall from her face to her waist. He gripped her possessively and brought her closer to him. Ginny, once again, cast her eyes down.
"Look at me, Ginny," said Draco firmly.
Ginny sniffled and slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "If there is one good virtue that the Malfoy men have, it’s being faithful to their wives. Yes, my father yelled at my mother, yes, he threatened her, and yes, he did it more than just a few times. But he never laid a finger on her and was never unfaithful." Draco’s eyes were pleading. "As un-Malfoy-ish as I may sound, I will never hurt you, Ginny. In anyway, shape, or form. I swear it on my life."
For a long time Ginny searched his eyes and saw no trace of falsehood. She smiled a small genuine smile and hugged him. She rose to the tip of her toes and said softly into his right ear, "Ask me again."
Draco pulled back, just far enough to look into Ginny’s eyes. He removed a slender black box from his robes pocket and opened it. Inside were the two pins of the lion and the serpent. He placed both pins in his right hand and tossed the box aside. He brought his hand up so that it was at Ginny’s eye level, and, once again, the eyes of both pins glowed and were replaced by a stunning diamond ring.
"Will you marry me, Ginny?" Draco asked softly.
"Of course I will, Draco," Ginny smiled up at him.
Draco couldn’t help the stupid grin of happiness that crawled its way onto his face. He went in to give her another passionate kiss.
Ginny stopped him. "You do know that you’re supposed to slip the ring onto my finger before we snog, don’t you? It is called the post-proposal snog for a reason, you know."
Michael was already waiting for Ginny outside the door to the Room of Requirement.
He was grinning like mad, "Hey, Gin. Enjoy your shower?"
Ginny elbowed him roughly in the stomach.
"Hey! What was--"
"Yes, Michael. I enjoyed it very much."
As they were making their way toward the Great Hall, Ginny told Michael about what happened in the girls’ dressing room that afternoon, but omitted the significant fact that Draco had re-proposed and that she had said yes.
The Great Hall was adorned with the traditional annual Halloween decor. Pumpkins--some with goofy faces and others with sinister ones--and candles floated above the students and staff.
Draco Malfoy walked through the tall oak doors of the Great Hall. The pointing and whispering, as expected, began immediately.
"Where are they?" Ron was tapping his foot, waiting impatiently for Michael to arrive with Ginny, all the while staring daggers at Draco.
Hermione turned to regard her boyfriend. "Perhaps they’re getting re-acquainted?" Hermione whispered into Ron’s ear. She wasn’t exactly lying. She had no doubt in her mind that Michael and Ginny were catching up and all, just not in the way Ron would hope.
"Yeah, you’re probably right," Ron turned to look at Hermione and then at Harry. He was smiling quite jubilantly. "I always did like that Corner boy."
"Of course you have, Ron," said Hermione. She and Harry both looked at each other and hid their knowing grins as they sipped their respective goblets.
It was then that Michael and Ginny entered the Great Hall, arm in arm, laughing.
The majority of the hall froze as they saw the two walk in. Only a very select few knew of Michael’s homosexuality, so everyone was quite surprised to see them walk in as they did.
Ron’s smile widened and his chest had puffed out--both of which were gestures that showed he approved of what he saw. He looked over at Draco with a triumphant glare. Ron was surprised to see that Draco was watching Michael lead Ginny to her brother’s side with mild amusement.
"And here’s your dear sister, Mr. Weasley," said Michael, bowing slightly to Harry and Hermione before heading to the Ravenclaw table.
Before anyone else could say anything, Dumbledore had risen from his seat to make his annual pre-Halloween feast speech. Ginny fiddled with her right ring finger while she snuck glances at Draco across the hall. No one seemed to notice the glimmering diamond that adorned it.
At the Burrow, Bill was alone in the kitchen with his mother. They had just finished tidying up after dinner when Bill sat his mother down at the kitchen table and brought up the delicate subject of her daughter and her ‘unsuitable’ boyfriend.
"No, I will hear no more of it, Bill. Your sister cannot see him," she practically yelled.
"Mum, be reasonable now," Bill tried to quiet her down.
"Reasonable? What do you mean ‘be reasonable’? My daughter has been brainwashed to think she is in love with a Malfoy. I will be damned before I allow this to go any further!"
"Mum, she hasn’t been brainwashed. She truly does love him. Just give Malfoy a chance, that’s all Ginny’s asking for," said Bill.
"It isn’t possible for a Malfoy and a Weasley to fall in love," Mrs. Weasley snapped at her eldest son.
"Why’s that?" asked Bill.
"Because Malfoys and Weasleys know better than to allow themselves to." Mrs. Weasley froze and blanched as she realised what she had just said.
"I thought you always said that you couldn’t choose who you fall in love with," Bill said, knowing he had touched something. "Have you ever even seen Ginny and Malfoy together, Mum? Even though he’ll most likely deny it, even Ron saw the bond between them. Did you know Ginny’s been a complete mess since you and dad left the castle? I know it’s only been a few hours, but Ron owled that she hasn’t spoken a single word. She doesn’t do anything, but stare out the windows in the Gryffindor common room."
Mrs. Weasley looked down at her hands, which rested on top of the table. She took a deep breath. Her eyes began to water and she shook her head as she looked up at her son. "Are you sure about them, Bill? I’ve worked too hard to keep my baby happy. I won’t be able to forgive myself if she ever gets hurt."
"Mum, I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t sure," Bill took his mother’s hands in his.
Mrs. Weasley smiled through her tear brimmed eyes. "I’ll try and talk to your father, then."
"I’m sure Ginny will really appreciate that, Mum."
They both were in the process of getting up from the table when a beautiful white bird began to tap at the window. Bill and Mrs. Weasley looked at each other for a moment before Bill finally went over to the window and let the bird in.
As soon as the window opened, it flew elegantly into the kitchen and landed right before Mrs. Weasley on the kitchen table. The bird stuck out its left leg to bring their attention to an expensive and elegant looking piece of parchment. Mrs. Weasley hesitantly removed the parchment from the birds leg. Once she did, the bird gracefully took off through the opened window.
Once the bird could no longer be seen, Mrs. Weasley looked back at the piece of parchment she held within her hands. There was no envelope, so she flipped it over to see that the folds were held closed by an old fashioned seal. A seal which happened to be in the shape of the Malfoy Crest.
Bill noticed this as well and asked, "What do you think she has to say about this whole thing?"
"What makes you so sure she even knows?" Molly asked, quietly.
"Of course, she knows. Why else would Narcissa Malfoy owl you?"
"I don’t know." Molly sat down and broke the seal.
"Well, what does it say?" Bill asked as she saw her mum re-read the letter for the fifth time.
"She’s invited me for tea, next weekend. At the Malfoy Manner."
(A/N: Please review.)
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