Ginny sat in Snape’s office clutching Draco’s hand. Her parents had arrived by Floo a few moments ago. Things were growing uglier by the minute.

“How could you let this happen?” Molly yelled at Snape.

“I tried to prevent it.” Snape glared at Lucius. “Had I been informed of the boy’s ‘condition’ I would’ve taken stronger measures to keep them apart.”

Arthur pointed at Lucius. “You should have warned us of your son’s unhealthy attraction to our daughter.”

Lucius sniffed. “I’d hoped to suppress my son’s perverse interest until he graduated. Then I would have found him a suitable mate.”

“What’s done is done,” Narcissa muttered. She glanced over at Ginny and then back at Molly. “I will not have my daughter-in-law walking around in rags. If you can’t afford to clothe your daughter in decent attire then I will send one of our tailors to dress her appropriately.”

“How dare you?” Molly stalked over and stood toe to toe with the tall blond woman. “I’ve raised seven children and made sure they were always properly fed and clothed.”

“We are not here to discuss the differences in our families,” Arthur placed a hand on his wife’s arm and she retreated a few steps. “We are here to figure out a way to undo this blasted vow.”

“Agreed,” Lucius turned his gaze on his son. “We could Obliviate them. I could perform the anti-animagus spell, which would keep Draco from shifting to dragon form. He would go back to hating your daughter.”

“No.” Draco stood and pulled Ginny with him. “You will not Obliviate me. I’m eighteen. Ginny is seventeen. We are both of age. You’ve no right to take her from me.”

Lucius’ face became a cold mask. “I have every right to protect my lineage. You will not dilute our gene pool with a Weasley.”

Ginny bit her tongue to keep from yelling at the terrifying man.

“The entire student body witnessed Draco’s transformation,” Snape pointed out. “We can’t Obliviate all of them.”

Lucius stared at the head of his cane. “No. But I can turn my son into someone your daughter will loathe.”

Ginny stepped in front of Draco. “Don’t even think about it. I’ll contact the twins and they’ll make your life a living hell.”

“I’m not afraid of those idiotic pranksters.”

“Those pranksters will make sure you receive dung bombs and other nasty surprises in your post and through your many Floos every day for as long as I ask.”

Lucius tilted his head and stared at her. “In case you’ve forgotten, you now reside at my Manor. Making threats, no matter how absurd, is not advisable.”

“She lives with us,” Arthur interjected. “I don’t care what words were exchanged. Until she participates in a proper wedding ceremony with my blessing, then she resides with her mother and I.”

“Perhaps we could consider them promised to marry.” Narcissa turned to Ginny’s mum. “Can I assume your daughter was raised to remain untouched until her wedding night?”

“Yes.” Her mum responded.

Ginny remembered her encounter with Draco in the hallway earlier in the day and felt her face heat up.

Lucius must have noticed her change in color because he chuckled. “I believe you’re both underestimating teenage lust.”

“Ginevra, we need to have a talk,” her mum stated.

She squeezed Draco’s hand and then let go. Keeping her head up and her shoulder’s back, she followed her mum to the far corner of the room.

The glare her mum leveled at her made her squirm. “It was just a snog,” Ginny protested. Before her mum could lay into her, she added. “I know about Bill.”

“You know what about Bill?”

“I know you claim he was born two months premature,” Ginny whispered.

“Yes. Well.” Her mum pretended to straighten her blouse. “If you figured that out then you know why I’m concerned.”

She couldn’t fault her mum’s logic.

“I already told Draco that I don’t plan to share a bed with anyone until I’m married. He didn’t argue with me.”

Molly reached up to rub her temples. “I know you’re a good girl, but sometimes good intentions fly out the window in the heat of the moment. I obviously speak from experience.”

Ginny asked a question she’d always wondered but never voiced. “Was I an accident?”

Her mum smiled. “None of my children were accidents. Quite a few of them were blessed surprises, but none were accidents.”

“Given our families tendencies toward multiple surprises, I don’t plan on letting things get out of hand with Draco. “

Someone cleared their throat, and Ginny turned to find her father smiling at her. “I thought I’d join the family conference.”

Her mum patted Ginny on the shoulder. “She plans to wear white, but she knows about Bill.”

“I see.” Her dad glanced back at the Malfoys. “I don’t understand how this came to be.”

She didn’t want to mention that dosing Draco with the twins’ animagus potion has set all of these events in motion. “It’s complicated. After Draco shifted, he changed. It turns out he’s been infatuated with me since the first time he saw me. His parents didn’t approve, so his dad bound his powers and turned him into a jerk to keep us apart.”

“How does he treat you now?” her dad asked.

“Now, he is protective of me and likes to make me happy. He’s still a prat sometimes, but most of the time he makes me feel safe and warm.” Ginny blushed.

“I don’t know, Ginny.” Her father’s brow furrowed. “He is a Malfoy. They aren’t kind people.”

“I wanted to slap Narcissa for that comment on your clothes,” her mum whispered.

Ginny didn’t have the heart to tell her mum that she’d love new clothes.

Her dad looked at Ginny’s outfit. “You’ve grown and your skirt is a bit short. Why don’t we buy you a new school uniform?”

She wasn’t sure if he meant new from a store, or just new to her. “I would like a new skirt. Maybe we could Floo to Diagon Alley after we finish up here?”

“I’ll go shopping and send you something in the post,” her mum answered.

Ginny had the sinking feeling that whatever came in the post would be from a second hand shop. “Thanks, mum.”

Snape cleared his throat. “If I could have your attention, I think we need to set some ground rules.” He pointed at Ginny. “I’ll be placing a ward on the Slytherin common room and on Draco’s room. If you cross the threshold of either room I will know and you will be given detention every night for the duration of your education.”

Hands on her hips, Ginny glared at Snape. “I don’t plan on visiting either location, so you’re wasting your threats.”

Snape pointed at Draco. “I’ll be placing the same wards on Miss Weasley’s room and her common room with the same stipulation.”

“Of course, Professor.”

Ginny wondered how Draco could remain calm and collected about this when she wanted to beat Snape over the head with a cauldron.

“Your precautions are unnecessary,” Lucius announced. He pointed his wand at his son. In a menacing voice he chanted a spell. Green light enveloped Draco.

“No,” Ginny yelled. She lunged for Draco.

She felt his body stiffen. Then he looked at her with distaste. “Get off of me, Weasley.” He pushed her away. Turning to his father, he said, “I apologize for my behavior. I’ve no idea what came over me.”

Ginny’s eyes filled with tears. Her throat felt like it was full of hot sand. The boy who cared for her was gone.
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