As Ron left to visit Molly, Draco shut the door and turned around. Both Blaise and Pansy looked at him with questioning eyes.
“That was something, wasn't it?” Blaise asked. “Quite frankly, I'm surprised he didn't knock your head off, mate.”
“He's more disgusted with Potter than he is with my dating his only sister,” Draco said. He glanced at Ginny. “Are you alright?”
She nodded. “I'm fine.”
“There was another reason I came by that I forgot to mention,” Blaise mumbled. “Narcissa wants you to owl her in response to the dinner invite she sent me.”
“Why would she send you an invite for me?” asked Draco.
“Oh, I don't know,” Blaise said, “maybe it's because you haven't been in contact with her for months. She wants to know what's kept you from speaking with her.” He glanced at Ginny. “Shall I tell her why you've been so distracted lately?”
“Not if you value your life,” Draco snapped. “I can talk to my own mother.”
“I'm quite sure she's not the one you're worried about,” said Pansy with a smirk. “We all know how much your father detests the Weasleys.”
Ginny stiffened. “You haven't told them?”
“I was going to,” Draco said softly. He glared at his friends. “Can you leave now?”
Blaise whistled, gripped Pansy, and was out the door in less than a minute, but his eyes begged for details at a later time.
“Why haven't you?” Ginny said, her voice low. “I told my parents about you. Better yet, they accept you and you're allowed into our home. I'm not ashamed of you.”
Draco's eyes widened, then the barest of smiles touched his lips. “Is that what you think, that I'm ashamed of you? Oh, darling, it's quite the opposite.”
When he kissed her, she let him. His arms went around her waist,lifting her onto the counter. Her legs going around his torso. Draco's fingers ached, and as he felt her skin of her stomach, she pulled away.
“I want you to tell them,” she said, gasping for air. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was tousled, her eyes bright. “Tomorrow. I'll go with you.”
He buried his head into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. He didn't speak, simply nodded. The fragrance on her skin was undoing him.
“You smell delicious,” he whispered against her neck. He wasted no time in scooping her up into his arms and heading to the bedroom.
**
“No,” he said as he sat down at The Leaky Cauldron the next morning. He'd agreed to meet Blaise for coffee.
“Oh, come on!” urged his friend. “Did you guys have it out? I've never seen you fight.”
“We've had disagreements,” said Draco, sipping his coffee. “All couples do. By the way, how are things with Pansy?”
Blaise looked at him. “Oh, I haven't caught her yet.”
“She's not a disease,” replied Draco, rolling his eyes. “Well, do you actually like her or are you just looking for someone to fill the spot of Daphne?”
Blaise chuckled. “I hope I never see that bitch again. She gave me a headache all the time. Do you know what that's like?”
Draco smiled lightly. “No, I have no idea what that's like,” he replied. “So I'm going to see my parents today. With Ginny.”
Blaise, who was drinking his coffee, started to choke.
“God, man, it's not that shocking. Relax, would you?”
“Why would you go and do something that stupid?” Blaise asked, his eyes watery from the coughing.
“It's not stupid.” Draco narrowed his eyes. “It's what Ginny wants. I should have done it a long time ago. I owe her that.”
Blaise shook his head. “You don't owe her anything. You could easily walk away from this, if you wanted. Then you'd never have to subject her to your father.”
“I'm not going to break up with her because I'm afraid of my father's reaction. I've disappointed him many times before, this would be no different.”
Blaise sighed. “You've only disappointed him with not doing what he expected from you. But this, you dating Ginny, is something you want.”
Draco nodded. “You're right. But I stopped living for my father and stated doing things for myself when I realized that what he was doing was completely insane. I'm with this amazing woman, and that's because I want to be, Lucius Malfoy be damned.”
Blaise grinned. “Good luck then, mate. I hope both of you come back in one piece."
**
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
They were walking up the path from the gate to Malfoy Manor. Ginny had changed her outfit a dozen times (though she'd never tell him that), and settled on a green long-sleeved shirt with black pants and boots.
“A little,” she admitted.
“Don't be,” he said softly, facing her. He reached out to touch a piece of her curled red hair. “They'll love you.”
“Your mother, maybe.”
Ginny laced her fingers with his and squeezed, and before she knew it, Draco was knocking on the door. It opened slowly, and Narcissa Malfoy looked out at them.
“Draco,” she said, swooping to give him a kiss. “How are you, darling? Your father and I were under the impression you were too busy for us.”
He glanced at Ginny, who hoped what she had on her face was a smile.
“Mother, this is Ginny Weasley.”
His mother regarded her with a calm gaze. She didn't make a scene, merely bent down and kissed Ginny's cheek.
“It's lovely to meet you finally,” Narcissa said kindly. “I'm sorry it's took us this long to be introduced.” She shot a look at her son. “Oh, don't give me that face. I frequently owl Blaise and he had to fill me in on who you were seeing. I daresay your father will be less than thrilled.”
Ginny flinched slightly, and gripped Draco's hand tighter.
“You look worried,” Narcissa said to her. “Well, if Lucius doesn't keep his temper under control I'll just have to talk to him. I told him to be nice.”
“Nice?” said a voice from behind her. “I assure you I am always nice.”
As the door opened fully, Lucius Malfoy stood there, glancing at his son, then Ginny. His expression did not change. There was no annoyance or anger in his grey eyes.
“Miss Weasley,” he said softly, nodding. “How are you, my dear? Draco neglected to tell us a lot of things, but mainly how gorgeous you grew up to be.”
Ginny bristled but composed herself. “I'm fine, thank you. Yourself?”
Lucius smirked. “It's lonely without our boy here, but we manage. Would you both like to come in? Lunch will be served shortly.”
As they entered, Ginny took in her surroundings. Everything was so elegant, so beautiful. She hadn't expected anything less from the Malfoy family.
“So, how did you come to be in my son's life?”
It was Narcissa who spoke. Ginny had entered the living room and was running her fingers along the fireplace mantle when she answered.
“I met him at a difficult time in my life,” she explained. No use telling the entire truth. These were refined people and she wanted them to like her. “He helped me figure things out, and I'll always be grateful for that.”
Draco smiled at her from his spot on the couch. Then he stood and went to her, pressing his lips to hers.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
She grinned at him.
“That's lovely,” Narcissa remarked. She handed Ginny a glass of champagne. “Draco, your father would like to speak with you. Don't worry, I'll keep Ginny company.”
Draco nodded, kissed Ginny on the cheek and walked down the hall to his father's study.
“That was something, wasn't it?” Blaise asked. “Quite frankly, I'm surprised he didn't knock your head off, mate.”
“He's more disgusted with Potter than he is with my dating his only sister,” Draco said. He glanced at Ginny. “Are you alright?”
She nodded. “I'm fine.”
“There was another reason I came by that I forgot to mention,” Blaise mumbled. “Narcissa wants you to owl her in response to the dinner invite she sent me.”
“Why would she send you an invite for me?” asked Draco.
“Oh, I don't know,” Blaise said, “maybe it's because you haven't been in contact with her for months. She wants to know what's kept you from speaking with her.” He glanced at Ginny. “Shall I tell her why you've been so distracted lately?”
“Not if you value your life,” Draco snapped. “I can talk to my own mother.”
“I'm quite sure she's not the one you're worried about,” said Pansy with a smirk. “We all know how much your father detests the Weasleys.”
Ginny stiffened. “You haven't told them?”
“I was going to,” Draco said softly. He glared at his friends. “Can you leave now?”
Blaise whistled, gripped Pansy, and was out the door in less than a minute, but his eyes begged for details at a later time.
“Why haven't you?” Ginny said, her voice low. “I told my parents about you. Better yet, they accept you and you're allowed into our home. I'm not ashamed of you.”
Draco's eyes widened, then the barest of smiles touched his lips. “Is that what you think, that I'm ashamed of you? Oh, darling, it's quite the opposite.”
When he kissed her, she let him. His arms went around her waist,lifting her onto the counter. Her legs going around his torso. Draco's fingers ached, and as he felt her skin of her stomach, she pulled away.
“I want you to tell them,” she said, gasping for air. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was tousled, her eyes bright. “Tomorrow. I'll go with you.”
He buried his head into the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent. He didn't speak, simply nodded. The fragrance on her skin was undoing him.
“You smell delicious,” he whispered against her neck. He wasted no time in scooping her up into his arms and heading to the bedroom.
“No,” he said as he sat down at The Leaky Cauldron the next morning. He'd agreed to meet Blaise for coffee.
“Oh, come on!” urged his friend. “Did you guys have it out? I've never seen you fight.”
“We've had disagreements,” said Draco, sipping his coffee. “All couples do. By the way, how are things with Pansy?”
Blaise looked at him. “Oh, I haven't caught her yet.”
“She's not a disease,” replied Draco, rolling his eyes. “Well, do you actually like her or are you just looking for someone to fill the spot of Daphne?”
Blaise chuckled. “I hope I never see that bitch again. She gave me a headache all the time. Do you know what that's like?”
Draco smiled lightly. “No, I have no idea what that's like,” he replied. “So I'm going to see my parents today. With Ginny.”
Blaise, who was drinking his coffee, started to choke.
“God, man, it's not that shocking. Relax, would you?”
“Why would you go and do something that stupid?” Blaise asked, his eyes watery from the coughing.
“It's not stupid.” Draco narrowed his eyes. “It's what Ginny wants. I should have done it a long time ago. I owe her that.”
Blaise shook his head. “You don't owe her anything. You could easily walk away from this, if you wanted. Then you'd never have to subject her to your father.”
“I'm not going to break up with her because I'm afraid of my father's reaction. I've disappointed him many times before, this would be no different.”
Blaise sighed. “You've only disappointed him with not doing what he expected from you. But this, you dating Ginny, is something you want.”
Draco nodded. “You're right. But I stopped living for my father and stated doing things for myself when I realized that what he was doing was completely insane. I'm with this amazing woman, and that's because I want to be, Lucius Malfoy be damned.”
Blaise grinned. “Good luck then, mate. I hope both of you come back in one piece."
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
They were walking up the path from the gate to Malfoy Manor. Ginny had changed her outfit a dozen times (though she'd never tell him that), and settled on a green long-sleeved shirt with black pants and boots.
“A little,” she admitted.
“Don't be,” he said softly, facing her. He reached out to touch a piece of her curled red hair. “They'll love you.”
“Your mother, maybe.”
Ginny laced her fingers with his and squeezed, and before she knew it, Draco was knocking on the door. It opened slowly, and Narcissa Malfoy looked out at them.
“Draco,” she said, swooping to give him a kiss. “How are you, darling? Your father and I were under the impression you were too busy for us.”
He glanced at Ginny, who hoped what she had on her face was a smile.
“Mother, this is Ginny Weasley.”
His mother regarded her with a calm gaze. She didn't make a scene, merely bent down and kissed Ginny's cheek.
“It's lovely to meet you finally,” Narcissa said kindly. “I'm sorry it's took us this long to be introduced.” She shot a look at her son. “Oh, don't give me that face. I frequently owl Blaise and he had to fill me in on who you were seeing. I daresay your father will be less than thrilled.”
Ginny flinched slightly, and gripped Draco's hand tighter.
“You look worried,” Narcissa said to her. “Well, if Lucius doesn't keep his temper under control I'll just have to talk to him. I told him to be nice.”
“Nice?” said a voice from behind her. “I assure you I am always nice.”
As the door opened fully, Lucius Malfoy stood there, glancing at his son, then Ginny. His expression did not change. There was no annoyance or anger in his grey eyes.
“Miss Weasley,” he said softly, nodding. “How are you, my dear? Draco neglected to tell us a lot of things, but mainly how gorgeous you grew up to be.”
Ginny bristled but composed herself. “I'm fine, thank you. Yourself?”
Lucius smirked. “It's lonely without our boy here, but we manage. Would you both like to come in? Lunch will be served shortly.”
As they entered, Ginny took in her surroundings. Everything was so elegant, so beautiful. She hadn't expected anything less from the Malfoy family.
“So, how did you come to be in my son's life?”
It was Narcissa who spoke. Ginny had entered the living room and was running her fingers along the fireplace mantle when she answered.
“I met him at a difficult time in my life,” she explained. No use telling the entire truth. These were refined people and she wanted them to like her. “He helped me figure things out, and I'll always be grateful for that.”
Draco smiled at her from his spot on the couch. Then he stood and went to her, pressing his lips to hers.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
She grinned at him.
“That's lovely,” Narcissa remarked. She handed Ginny a glass of champagne. “Draco, your father would like to speak with you. Don't worry, I'll keep Ginny company.”
Draco nodded, kissed Ginny on the cheek and walked down the hall to his father's study.
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