“You’re married.”
“You don’t seem too surprised, Mother.” Draco frowned at his mother’s calm acceptance of the news. “I was half expecting you and Mother Weasley to go ballistic.”
“Mercy, Draco!” Molly laughed. “Remus and Amihan told us all about it a couple of years ago. I must admit we were a tad scandalized at first, what with your fathers’ prejudices and all. But you’ve both been so happy, so we decided to help out.”
“By tying more knots into our thread?”
It was eleven in the evening in Kyôto and four in the afternoon in England. Draco and Ginny decided to call their families and give them the news by way of the Mirror Service.
Fireplaces have never figured prominently in Asian architecture, seeing how much of the region never really experiences winter. In the places that do, people used bonfires and braziers to stay warm. Thus, everything related to the European Floo Service was practically non-existent. Instead, they communicated and traveled through specially charmed mirrors. When Draco moved to Japan, he made sure to charm mirrors both at the Manor and at the Burrow so he could stay in touch with his loved ones.
To Draco’s surprise, he found his mother at the Burrow. Apparently, Molly had invited her to tea so she wouldn’t feel lonely.
“They told you?” Ginny seemed a bit put out. “You never told us!”
“We never told you we’ve always been friends, either.” Both Molly and Narcissa laughed.
“And you don’t mind that we’re married – even unofficially?” Draco asked them.
“Arthur was horrified at first,” Molly admitted. “But we’ve all pretty much accepted it.”
“Have you told the boys, Mum?” Ginny asked her.
“No, we haven’t. You know how your brothers are, Gin; they’ll not accept Draco wholeheartedly at first. It’s best to break the news to them gradually.” She looked thoughtful. “I do, however, think Amihan may have already told Bill and Charlie. They were at Hogwarts together, you know.”
“Do you think they’d mind, Mum?”
“I doubt it.” Molly grinned at Draco. “Provided your young gentleman over there never hurts you.”
“You have my word as a gentleman, Mother Weasley,” Draco assured her as he put an arm about Ginny’s shoulders.
“You two look lovely together,” Narcissa said somewhat wistfully.
“Thank you, Mother Malfoy.” Ginny blushed, but looked pleased.
“I’m sure your children will be just as beautiful.” Narcissa grinned mirthfully. “Speaking of grandchildren, I won’t mind if you two give me an even dozen!”
“A dozen!” the two exclaimed, horrified.
“I’m kidding, of course,” Narcissa laughed. “But, seriously: I wanted more children after you were born, Drae.” She looked sad as she spoke. “But your father said no. He had an heir and, to him, there was no reason to have others.”
“He was a dreadful sort, Mother,” Draco remarked quietly. “He was my father, but that doesn’t change the fact that I wanted to throw a party when he was gone.” He smiled and tenderly kissed Ginny’s cheek. “I promise you all that, when the time comes for me and Gin to raise a family, I’ll be a much better father than he ever was.”
***
“Ron, you’re being unreasonable!”
Hermione Granger looked exasperated as her fiancé busied himself with the potion that had occupied most of his time for the past few weeks.
“I’m not being unreasonable!” Ron shouted back. “Honestly, Hermione: would you really like to have Draco Malfoy for a brother-in-law?”
“I don’t,” she replied. “But that doesn’t mean you have to do this!” She stood behind him, grasping at his shoulders. “Ron, the War’s been over for nearly five years,” she whispered. “Give the man a chance. For all we know, he’s a far better person than his father was.”
“No!” was Ron’s adamant reply. He spun around and grabbed Hermione. “You don’t understand, Hermione! The Malfoys have been evil from the very beginning. Only the gods know what they’ll do to Ginny if she marries that git.” He gazed into her eyes. “They’ll turn her against us with their pureblood nonsense, ‘Mione. Can’t you see that?”
With brimming eyes, Hermione shook her head and tore herself out of Ron’s hands. “No, Ron,” she replied bitterly. “I don’t see it.” Weeping, she fled Ron’s study, silently cursing the hard-heartedness of the man she loved.
***
“I don’t understand what’s come over him,” she exclaimed to Bill. “It’s like he’s still obsessed with the idea of revenge. To think that the War’s been over for ages.”
Hermione left Ron to his own devices and sought the advice of his brother Bill. Since his marriage, Bill had been transferred to Gringotts Headquarters at Diagon Alley and had been promoted several times since. Bill and his wife, the former Mademoiselle Fleur Delacour, now had a lovely home in a well-off suburban area not too far off from the Burrow.
Bill and Fleur were rather surprised to see their incipient sister-in-law crying at their doorstep early that evening, but were all ears as to what she had to say. It went without saying that the Bill Weasleys looked none too happy about what they heard.
“What eez ‘e working on, Hermione?” Fleur asked her when she joined them in the sitting room. Fleur’s English was much better now than it was years ago, but she still hadn’t managed to get rid of her thick accent. “Eez eet an illegal potion or sometheeng?”
“I have no idea what it is, Fleur,” Hermione admitted with an air of frustration. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen or brewed before.”
“What deed eet look like?”
“It’s rather thick, the color’s about very light gray or very pale blue.” Hermioned gulped. “There are times when it smells vile and times when it smells like fresh summer fruit.”
Fleur looked grim and she shared a troubled glance with her husband. “Nous regardons une situation sinistre, mon mari,” she murmured over to him. “Elle a juste décrit un breuvage magique très dangereux.”
“Vraiment?” Bill frowned. “Est-ce que vraiment c'est est dangereux, cherie?”
“Oui.” Fleur nodded. She turned back to Hermione, a bleak look on her beautiful face. “Cher Hermione has just described a diedu.”
“A what?” Hermione exclaimed in bewilderment.
“Diedu,” Fleur repeated. She got up and picked a book off one of the shelves. “Eet eez a vairy dangerous love potion,” she explained as she flipped through the book. “It can keel people if you do it wrong.”
“Kill?” Hermioned screamed.
Fleur nodded. “Oui, zat is why ze Chinese banned eet centuries ago.” She threw a beleaguered look at her husband. “Mon Dieu, Beel!” she declared. “What ‘as gotten into our Ron?”
“I’m sure Ron would never hurt Ginny,” Bill murmured, but there was uncertainty in his words. “But he has to stop this before he gets himself into trouble.” He looked at Hermione. “Will you be going to Amihan’s wedding in Japan on Saturday?” he asked her.
Hermione nodded. “Yes,” she replied. “Ron and I have made Portkey reservations.”
“I wish we could talk to Remus or Amihan before the wedding,” Bill groaned. “But we’d best make do with the circumstances.” He smiled a bit and patted Hermione’s shoulder. “Don’t fret about it,” he assured her. “We’ll sort things out soon enough.”
***
“No, Gin. I won’t have you sleeping in the guest room tonight and that’s final.”
Draco’s flat was, by Japanese standards, a rather roomy one with a bedroom and a sleeping loft. When bedtime rolled around, Ginny had shyly told her fiancé that she would stay in the guest room. Draco, however, would have none of it.
She squealed when he lifted her up and carried her off to the loft. He set her down on the right side of his bed and tucked her in.
“You, Mrs. Malfoy, will stay with your husband,” he admonished her playfully.
“Ordering me around already, Mr. Malfoy?” she teased him in return, eyes glittering with fun. “For shame: we haven’t had a formal ceremony yet!”
“Oh, really?” he snorted as he got into his side of the bed. “Fifteen knots in our thread, Gin, and we’re the last to know.” He turned to her, concern in his silvery eyes. “Look: I won’t force you into doing anything you don’t want to do.”
She studied him for a moment, then smiled. She slipped her arms about his neck and drew him close. “I know you won’t,” she whispered archly. “But what makes you think I won’t talk you into it myself?”
Taking that as a go-signal, Draco’s lips sought hers. Needless to say, they got very little sleep that night.
“You don’t seem too surprised, Mother.” Draco frowned at his mother’s calm acceptance of the news. “I was half expecting you and Mother Weasley to go ballistic.”
“Mercy, Draco!” Molly laughed. “Remus and Amihan told us all about it a couple of years ago. I must admit we were a tad scandalized at first, what with your fathers’ prejudices and all. But you’ve both been so happy, so we decided to help out.”
“By tying more knots into our thread?”
It was eleven in the evening in Kyôto and four in the afternoon in England. Draco and Ginny decided to call their families and give them the news by way of the Mirror Service.
Fireplaces have never figured prominently in Asian architecture, seeing how much of the region never really experiences winter. In the places that do, people used bonfires and braziers to stay warm. Thus, everything related to the European Floo Service was practically non-existent. Instead, they communicated and traveled through specially charmed mirrors. When Draco moved to Japan, he made sure to charm mirrors both at the Manor and at the Burrow so he could stay in touch with his loved ones.
To Draco’s surprise, he found his mother at the Burrow. Apparently, Molly had invited her to tea so she wouldn’t feel lonely.
“They told you?” Ginny seemed a bit put out. “You never told us!”
“We never told you we’ve always been friends, either.” Both Molly and Narcissa laughed.
“And you don’t mind that we’re married – even unofficially?” Draco asked them.
“Arthur was horrified at first,” Molly admitted. “But we’ve all pretty much accepted it.”
“Have you told the boys, Mum?” Ginny asked her.
“No, we haven’t. You know how your brothers are, Gin; they’ll not accept Draco wholeheartedly at first. It’s best to break the news to them gradually.” She looked thoughtful. “I do, however, think Amihan may have already told Bill and Charlie. They were at Hogwarts together, you know.”
“Do you think they’d mind, Mum?”
“I doubt it.” Molly grinned at Draco. “Provided your young gentleman over there never hurts you.”
“You have my word as a gentleman, Mother Weasley,” Draco assured her as he put an arm about Ginny’s shoulders.
“You two look lovely together,” Narcissa said somewhat wistfully.
“Thank you, Mother Malfoy.” Ginny blushed, but looked pleased.
“I’m sure your children will be just as beautiful.” Narcissa grinned mirthfully. “Speaking of grandchildren, I won’t mind if you two give me an even dozen!”
“A dozen!” the two exclaimed, horrified.
“I’m kidding, of course,” Narcissa laughed. “But, seriously: I wanted more children after you were born, Drae.” She looked sad as she spoke. “But your father said no. He had an heir and, to him, there was no reason to have others.”
“He was a dreadful sort, Mother,” Draco remarked quietly. “He was my father, but that doesn’t change the fact that I wanted to throw a party when he was gone.” He smiled and tenderly kissed Ginny’s cheek. “I promise you all that, when the time comes for me and Gin to raise a family, I’ll be a much better father than he ever was.”
***
“Ron, you’re being unreasonable!”
Hermione Granger looked exasperated as her fiancé busied himself with the potion that had occupied most of his time for the past few weeks.
“I’m not being unreasonable!” Ron shouted back. “Honestly, Hermione: would you really like to have Draco Malfoy for a brother-in-law?”
“I don’t,” she replied. “But that doesn’t mean you have to do this!” She stood behind him, grasping at his shoulders. “Ron, the War’s been over for nearly five years,” she whispered. “Give the man a chance. For all we know, he’s a far better person than his father was.”
“No!” was Ron’s adamant reply. He spun around and grabbed Hermione. “You don’t understand, Hermione! The Malfoys have been evil from the very beginning. Only the gods know what they’ll do to Ginny if she marries that git.” He gazed into her eyes. “They’ll turn her against us with their pureblood nonsense, ‘Mione. Can’t you see that?”
With brimming eyes, Hermione shook her head and tore herself out of Ron’s hands. “No, Ron,” she replied bitterly. “I don’t see it.” Weeping, she fled Ron’s study, silently cursing the hard-heartedness of the man she loved.
***
“I don’t understand what’s come over him,” she exclaimed to Bill. “It’s like he’s still obsessed with the idea of revenge. To think that the War’s been over for ages.”
Hermione left Ron to his own devices and sought the advice of his brother Bill. Since his marriage, Bill had been transferred to Gringotts Headquarters at Diagon Alley and had been promoted several times since. Bill and his wife, the former Mademoiselle Fleur Delacour, now had a lovely home in a well-off suburban area not too far off from the Burrow.
Bill and Fleur were rather surprised to see their incipient sister-in-law crying at their doorstep early that evening, but were all ears as to what she had to say. It went without saying that the Bill Weasleys looked none too happy about what they heard.
“What eez ‘e working on, Hermione?” Fleur asked her when she joined them in the sitting room. Fleur’s English was much better now than it was years ago, but she still hadn’t managed to get rid of her thick accent. “Eez eet an illegal potion or sometheeng?”
“I have no idea what it is, Fleur,” Hermione admitted with an air of frustration. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen or brewed before.”
“What deed eet look like?”
“It’s rather thick, the color’s about very light gray or very pale blue.” Hermioned gulped. “There are times when it smells vile and times when it smells like fresh summer fruit.”
Fleur looked grim and she shared a troubled glance with her husband. “Nous regardons une situation sinistre, mon mari,” she murmured over to him. “Elle a juste décrit un breuvage magique très dangereux.”
“Vraiment?” Bill frowned. “Est-ce que vraiment c'est est dangereux, cherie?”
“Oui.” Fleur nodded. She turned back to Hermione, a bleak look on her beautiful face. “Cher Hermione has just described a diedu.”
“A what?” Hermione exclaimed in bewilderment.
“Diedu,” Fleur repeated. She got up and picked a book off one of the shelves. “Eet eez a vairy dangerous love potion,” she explained as she flipped through the book. “It can keel people if you do it wrong.”
“Kill?” Hermioned screamed.
Fleur nodded. “Oui, zat is why ze Chinese banned eet centuries ago.” She threw a beleaguered look at her husband. “Mon Dieu, Beel!” she declared. “What ‘as gotten into our Ron?”
“I’m sure Ron would never hurt Ginny,” Bill murmured, but there was uncertainty in his words. “But he has to stop this before he gets himself into trouble.” He looked at Hermione. “Will you be going to Amihan’s wedding in Japan on Saturday?” he asked her.
Hermione nodded. “Yes,” she replied. “Ron and I have made Portkey reservations.”
“I wish we could talk to Remus or Amihan before the wedding,” Bill groaned. “But we’d best make do with the circumstances.” He smiled a bit and patted Hermione’s shoulder. “Don’t fret about it,” he assured her. “We’ll sort things out soon enough.”
***
“No, Gin. I won’t have you sleeping in the guest room tonight and that’s final.”
Draco’s flat was, by Japanese standards, a rather roomy one with a bedroom and a sleeping loft. When bedtime rolled around, Ginny had shyly told her fiancé that she would stay in the guest room. Draco, however, would have none of it.
She squealed when he lifted her up and carried her off to the loft. He set her down on the right side of his bed and tucked her in.
“You, Mrs. Malfoy, will stay with your husband,” he admonished her playfully.
“Ordering me around already, Mr. Malfoy?” she teased him in return, eyes glittering with fun. “For shame: we haven’t had a formal ceremony yet!”
“Oh, really?” he snorted as he got into his side of the bed. “Fifteen knots in our thread, Gin, and we’re the last to know.” He turned to her, concern in his silvery eyes. “Look: I won’t force you into doing anything you don’t want to do.”
She studied him for a moment, then smiled. She slipped her arms about his neck and drew him close. “I know you won’t,” she whispered archly. “But what makes you think I won’t talk you into it myself?”
Taking that as a go-signal, Draco’s lips sought hers. Needless to say, they got very little sleep that night.
Author notes: Fleur and Bill's Dialogue - Translated:
"We're looking at a dangerous situation, my husband. She just described a very dangerous potion.
"Really? You mean, it's that dangerous?
"Yes."
Diedu: This potion has long been a part of Chinese literary tradition. A diedu alters the mind of the victim, forcing him or her to think that she is in love with someone else. There are a number of ways by which people snap out of a diedu-induced trance. Of course, I'm not saying how just yet; you have to read on to find out. ;)
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