Back To Her Feet
“I understand that anything I say will most likely do nothing in changing your position on the matter of me and Ginny--”
“Then why bother saying anything at all?” Arthur snapped, leveling narrowed eyes at the young man next to him.
“Let me just say this,” Draco paused and took a deep breath. Arthur turned away, refusing to look at Lucius Malfoy’s son, but listened nonetheless.
“She’s been blessed with a loving family, something I could never even begin to fully understand--and I refuse to begrudge her such a blessing. So if you give me no other choice, then I will leave her. But know that one day she might come up to me and ask me what's more important--my life or she. I’ll say my life, and she’ll probably walk away never knowing that she is my life.”
Despite trying to fight off the sincerity in Draco’s words, Arthur couldn’t help the feeling of familiarity that seeped its way into his conscience.
Arthur remembered what it had been like when he had gone to Molly’s parents to ask for her hand in marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Prewitt weren’t exactly jumping up and down. There was no family feud between the Prewitt and the Weasley households, but Molly’s parents had felt that Arthur was completely unfit to care for their daughter.
Arthur turned his head to study Draco. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself, if the decision he was about to make blew up in his face. He wouldn’t be able to live knowing that his little girl got her heart broken, when he could have done something about it.
“Do you love her?” Arthur asked quietly.
Draco looked Arthur in the eye and said, “Yes, I do.”
“Will you take care of her?” said Mr. Weasley just as quietly.
“Of course,” said Draco as he straightened up even more.
Arthur took a deep breath and reluctantly turned to fully face his future son-in-law.
Arthur’s face was stern and serious. His words were spoken firmly and almost threateningly. “If you hurt her in any way, I will not only unleash my sons and Harry on you, but I will also hunt you down myself.”
Draco did not say anything in return, for he didn’t have to. His sincerity and seriousness about his feelings for Ginny were evident in the look on his face.
Arthur and Draco stood in the Weasley living room in comfortable silence for what seemed an eternity.
Suddenly, Arthur nodded once and said, “You have my permission.”
Draco nodded back dutifully, carefully hiding his sigh of relief and urges to begin jumping off of the walls.
Draco nearly fell backwards when he heard a shriek. He turned to see that the shriek had belonged to his soon to be mother-in-law.
Molly Weasley was standing near the doorframe of the kitchen when Arthur had given Draco his approval. She was beaming at her husband.
As soon as they had heard their mother’s shriek, the five Weasley boys had rushed to her side. They froze in place at the sight of Draco in their living room.
Draco smirked.
Not a split second later, Ginny’s brothers charged.
They had barely taken four steps when Arthur held up his hand to halt the herd.
The Weasley boys stared on in confusion as their father turned to the spawn of Lucius Malfoy.
“Well, Draco, I’m sure it’s about time that you head back to school,” Arthur said, in an even tone.
“Yes, of course. Thank you for having me here,” replied Draco, first nodding at Arthur and then turning to give a small bow to Molly.
“Of course, Draco, dear,” beamed Molly.
Just as Draco had reached the front door, Arthur called out to him. Draco turned to face Ginny’s father.
“Thank you. For seriously taking in the consideration of our feelings,” said Arthur sincerely.
“Of course, Mr. Weasley,” replied Draco. Just as he was about to turn and walk out the door, he looked to Ginny’s brothers and said, “Good-bye, boys.”
As soon as the door shut behind Draco, Percy, Charlie, and the twins all turned to their father.
“What in the bloody hell was that?” shouted Fred.
Arthur sighed and moved to take a seat on the sofa. He leaned back and rubbed his temples. “I hope you’re right about this, Molly,” Arthur said to his wife without looking at her.
“Right about what?” asked Charlie in a subdued voice, clearly afraid that the answer to his question was what he thought it was.
“Arthur, it’s better this way. Really it is. Would you rather have Ginny sneaking off with him, having them do it anyway, without us? Without you giving her away?” Molly said softly to her husband as she moved to take a seat next to him on the sofa.
“What are you talking about?” asked George a tad fearfully, for the same thoughts that were running through Charlie’s mind were now running through his own.
“But what if she gets hurt?” Arthur continued his conversation with his wife as if his sons had not been in the room.
“If she gets hurt, then she’ll have learned a lesson. And we’ll be there to help her back to her feet,” whispered Molly as she took her husband’s hand, trying to convince not only Arthur but herself as well.
“Dad, what did you do?” asked Percy, who was beginning to come to the same realisation of his brothers.
Arthur finally looked up to recognise his sons. “Your mother is right,” he paused, contemplating whether or not he truly agreed with what he was about to say. “You should all start getting used to the idea of Ginny and Mal--Draco being together.”
“Dad, what did you do?” asked Fred more forcefully.
“Your sister and Draco will be getting married.”
Arthur braced himself for a bombardment of disputes, but, with a mixture of relief and surprise, he was instead met with complete and utter silence.
Molly looked from her sons to the time, and saw that it was nearing noon. After giving her husband a peck on the cheek, she stood and grabbed her cloak.
The six men before her all turned their heads in synchronisation with questioning and, in the cases of her sons, shocked eyes.
“I’m meeting Narcissa at the Manor, to discuss wedding arrangements,” said Molly before grasping her wand and apparating out of the Burrow.
(A/N: Sorry for such a long wait. Please Review!)
“I understand that anything I say will most likely do nothing in changing your position on the matter of me and Ginny--”
“Then why bother saying anything at all?” Arthur snapped, leveling narrowed eyes at the young man next to him.
“Let me just say this,” Draco paused and took a deep breath. Arthur turned away, refusing to look at Lucius Malfoy’s son, but listened nonetheless.
“She’s been blessed with a loving family, something I could never even begin to fully understand--and I refuse to begrudge her such a blessing. So if you give me no other choice, then I will leave her. But know that one day she might come up to me and ask me what's more important--my life or she. I’ll say my life, and she’ll probably walk away never knowing that she is my life.”
Despite trying to fight off the sincerity in Draco’s words, Arthur couldn’t help the feeling of familiarity that seeped its way into his conscience.
Arthur remembered what it had been like when he had gone to Molly’s parents to ask for her hand in marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Prewitt weren’t exactly jumping up and down. There was no family feud between the Prewitt and the Weasley households, but Molly’s parents had felt that Arthur was completely unfit to care for their daughter.
Arthur turned his head to study Draco. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself, if the decision he was about to make blew up in his face. He wouldn’t be able to live knowing that his little girl got her heart broken, when he could have done something about it.
“Do you love her?” Arthur asked quietly.
Draco looked Arthur in the eye and said, “Yes, I do.”
“Will you take care of her?” said Mr. Weasley just as quietly.
“Of course,” said Draco as he straightened up even more.
Arthur took a deep breath and reluctantly turned to fully face his future son-in-law.
Arthur’s face was stern and serious. His words were spoken firmly and almost threateningly. “If you hurt her in any way, I will not only unleash my sons and Harry on you, but I will also hunt you down myself.”
Draco did not say anything in return, for he didn’t have to. His sincerity and seriousness about his feelings for Ginny were evident in the look on his face.
Arthur and Draco stood in the Weasley living room in comfortable silence for what seemed an eternity.
Suddenly, Arthur nodded once and said, “You have my permission.”
Draco nodded back dutifully, carefully hiding his sigh of relief and urges to begin jumping off of the walls.
Draco nearly fell backwards when he heard a shriek. He turned to see that the shriek had belonged to his soon to be mother-in-law.
Molly Weasley was standing near the doorframe of the kitchen when Arthur had given Draco his approval. She was beaming at her husband.
As soon as they had heard their mother’s shriek, the five Weasley boys had rushed to her side. They froze in place at the sight of Draco in their living room.
Draco smirked.
Not a split second later, Ginny’s brothers charged.
They had barely taken four steps when Arthur held up his hand to halt the herd.
The Weasley boys stared on in confusion as their father turned to the spawn of Lucius Malfoy.
“Well, Draco, I’m sure it’s about time that you head back to school,” Arthur said, in an even tone.
“Yes, of course. Thank you for having me here,” replied Draco, first nodding at Arthur and then turning to give a small bow to Molly.
“Of course, Draco, dear,” beamed Molly.
Just as Draco had reached the front door, Arthur called out to him. Draco turned to face Ginny’s father.
“Thank you. For seriously taking in the consideration of our feelings,” said Arthur sincerely.
“Of course, Mr. Weasley,” replied Draco. Just as he was about to turn and walk out the door, he looked to Ginny’s brothers and said, “Good-bye, boys.”
As soon as the door shut behind Draco, Percy, Charlie, and the twins all turned to their father.
“What in the bloody hell was that?” shouted Fred.
Arthur sighed and moved to take a seat on the sofa. He leaned back and rubbed his temples. “I hope you’re right about this, Molly,” Arthur said to his wife without looking at her.
“Right about what?” asked Charlie in a subdued voice, clearly afraid that the answer to his question was what he thought it was.
“Arthur, it’s better this way. Really it is. Would you rather have Ginny sneaking off with him, having them do it anyway, without us? Without you giving her away?” Molly said softly to her husband as she moved to take a seat next to him on the sofa.
“What are you talking about?” asked George a tad fearfully, for the same thoughts that were running through Charlie’s mind were now running through his own.
“But what if she gets hurt?” Arthur continued his conversation with his wife as if his sons had not been in the room.
“If she gets hurt, then she’ll have learned a lesson. And we’ll be there to help her back to her feet,” whispered Molly as she took her husband’s hand, trying to convince not only Arthur but herself as well.
“Dad, what did you do?” asked Percy, who was beginning to come to the same realisation of his brothers.
Arthur finally looked up to recognise his sons. “Your mother is right,” he paused, contemplating whether or not he truly agreed with what he was about to say. “You should all start getting used to the idea of Ginny and Mal--Draco being together.”
“Dad, what did you do?” asked Fred more forcefully.
“Your sister and Draco will be getting married.”
Arthur braced himself for a bombardment of disputes, but, with a mixture of relief and surprise, he was instead met with complete and utter silence.
Molly looked from her sons to the time, and saw that it was nearing noon. After giving her husband a peck on the cheek, she stood and grabbed her cloak.
The six men before her all turned their heads in synchronisation with questioning and, in the cases of her sons, shocked eyes.
“I’m meeting Narcissa at the Manor, to discuss wedding arrangements,” said Molly before grasping her wand and apparating out of the Burrow.
(A/N: Sorry for such a long wait. Please Review!)
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