Draco cleared his throat. “My mother came for a visit. Isn't that wonderful?” He looked at Ginny, his expression pinched, and he shuddered ever so slightly. She knew he was thinking about last night, and she was tempted to burst out laughing.
“How are you?” Ginny managed to hide a smile as she slipped around Draco and sat down.
Narcissa sighed. “It's been difficult, especially since I feel so far away from my only child.”
Draco groaned. “That's not fair. You weren't supposed to come here to make me feel guilty.”
“No, that was a bonus.” Narcissa smirked. “Now, darling, come sit down with us and let's discuss the arrangements.”
“What arrangements?” Draco asked.
His mother frowned. “Why, your wedding, of course.”
Draco coughed, his eyes widening. “Mother, what are you talking about?”
“You told me you had something to tell me,” she replied. “Oh, dear. That wasn't it?” She glanced at Ginny. “You two aren't getting married?”
“We haven't talked about it,” the redhead said softly.
Narcissa turned her head, looking at her son. “Is this true? Draco, you've been with this girl for over a year, what's taking you so long?”
“I'd really rather have this conversation in private,” Draco hissed.
“Well, she should be included in what you want and don't want, shouldn't she?”
Ginny twisted her hands in her lap nervously. The truth was that she thought about what it would be like to be married to Draco. But she never brought it up because she figured he wasn't ready, and she was right, apparently. But now the conversation was being discussed, and she couldn't have felt more awkward.
“Mother,” Draco said sharply. “I know I said I had something about important news, but that wasn't it. It was more along the lines of living arrangements.”
The blonde woman raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her son. “Just what exactly is this about?”
“Ginny and I were talking the other night and we thought that maybe it would benefit you more if you moved closer to us.”
Narcissa squinted. “Now what would make you think I'd want to leave the manor? It would be better if you two came and lived with me.”
Draco choked on whatever words he was about to say. Had he heard her correctly? She wanted them to live with her at Malfoy Manor? He looked at Ginny, who looked everywhere else but at him. Narcissa took their silence for happiness, and when she smiled, it broke Draco's heart. He stood and paced around the room, trying to form the right words.
“I don't think that's possible,” he said after a few moments. “We have lives here, jobs, friends.”
Narcissa's blue eyes narrowed. Then she stood. “Well, we'll speak about this later.”
When she was gone, Draco sighed. He hated upsetting his mother, but what else did she expect him to say? As if she sensed what he was thinking, Ginny slipped an arm around his shoulder.
“It's not your fault. You're right. We have lives here.”
He buried his face in her hair. “I just made her feel like complete shit, didn't I? Ugh, she'll probably never speak to me again.”
“We all make mistakes with our parents, it's okay.” Ginny pulled him away and looked into his eyes. “You're her only son, she can't live without you.”
A smile tugged at his lips as he bent his head and kissed her. Something in his eyes flashed as he covered her mouth with his, but it was gone before she could ask what the look was.
**
Night had fallen, and as they sat in front of the fire, facing each other, Draco let his fingers trace over her jaw softly. When she leaned over and kissed him, he pulled her onto his lap.
“We should have called Blaise and Pansy,” Ginny said thoughtfully, as she snuggled closer to him.
“I don't think they'd enjoy this,” Draco murmured as he ran his fingers through her hair. “I don't fancy shagging Pansy anyway, she's too demanding.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “I wasn't talking about this. I meant maybe we should have talked to them about your father.”
His calm face hardened at her words. “There's nothing to discuss.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It's a dead issue. He's dead. It's just how it is. I've come to accept that I'm never going to find out the truth. Sometimes things just happen and there's nothing you can do about it.”
Ginny frowned. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it.”
His gray eyes slid to her and he shook his head, bringing her mouth to his. He didn't say anything as they kissed, because there was nothing to say. All he wanted to do was show her how much he loved her, how much he appreciated her for what she had done for him. She'd made him a better person, and he couldn't imagine his life without her.
**
“He wants to go out to dinner,” she said, pulling the towel from her hair and charming it so it was dried and curled. “I have to find something to wear, which if why I called you.”
Pansy, who was busy looking through her clothing, muttered, “Sheesh, you don't have too many dresses, do you? And why do you have a red one? That will clash terribly with your hair. Maybe the emerald or black one.”
“I don't have too many choices,” Ginny remarked. She had on a pair of gray sweatpants and one of Draco's shirts. “Would you pick something?”
“You have two dresses that will look good with your hair, so why did you need me to come over?” Pansy asked, staring at her. She frowned. “Ginny, what's really going on?”
The redhead frowned and plopped down on the bed. “I think he's going to propose,” she said quietly. “What if he does?”
Pansy grinned. “Well, what are you so anxious about? You want to marry him, right? So then you'd say yes.”
“It's a big step,” admitted Ginny. “I wonder if he's only doing this because of the fallout with his mother.”
Pansy shook her head. “He's Malfoy, we've known him for years. If he didn't want to do something, he wouldn't.” Her mouth twitched as she headed for the door. “Go with the green dress, and have fun. I have things to do.”
When she was gone, Ginny sighed. Then she got dressed and left the flat to meet Draco.
“How are you?” Ginny managed to hide a smile as she slipped around Draco and sat down.
Narcissa sighed. “It's been difficult, especially since I feel so far away from my only child.”
Draco groaned. “That's not fair. You weren't supposed to come here to make me feel guilty.”
“No, that was a bonus.” Narcissa smirked. “Now, darling, come sit down with us and let's discuss the arrangements.”
“What arrangements?” Draco asked.
His mother frowned. “Why, your wedding, of course.”
Draco coughed, his eyes widening. “Mother, what are you talking about?”
“You told me you had something to tell me,” she replied. “Oh, dear. That wasn't it?” She glanced at Ginny. “You two aren't getting married?”
“We haven't talked about it,” the redhead said softly.
Narcissa turned her head, looking at her son. “Is this true? Draco, you've been with this girl for over a year, what's taking you so long?”
“I'd really rather have this conversation in private,” Draco hissed.
“Well, she should be included in what you want and don't want, shouldn't she?”
Ginny twisted her hands in her lap nervously. The truth was that she thought about what it would be like to be married to Draco. But she never brought it up because she figured he wasn't ready, and she was right, apparently. But now the conversation was being discussed, and she couldn't have felt more awkward.
“Mother,” Draco said sharply. “I know I said I had something about important news, but that wasn't it. It was more along the lines of living arrangements.”
The blonde woman raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her son. “Just what exactly is this about?”
“Ginny and I were talking the other night and we thought that maybe it would benefit you more if you moved closer to us.”
Narcissa squinted. “Now what would make you think I'd want to leave the manor? It would be better if you two came and lived with me.”
Draco choked on whatever words he was about to say. Had he heard her correctly? She wanted them to live with her at Malfoy Manor? He looked at Ginny, who looked everywhere else but at him. Narcissa took their silence for happiness, and when she smiled, it broke Draco's heart. He stood and paced around the room, trying to form the right words.
“I don't think that's possible,” he said after a few moments. “We have lives here, jobs, friends.”
Narcissa's blue eyes narrowed. Then she stood. “Well, we'll speak about this later.”
When she was gone, Draco sighed. He hated upsetting his mother, but what else did she expect him to say? As if she sensed what he was thinking, Ginny slipped an arm around his shoulder.
“It's not your fault. You're right. We have lives here.”
He buried his face in her hair. “I just made her feel like complete shit, didn't I? Ugh, she'll probably never speak to me again.”
“We all make mistakes with our parents, it's okay.” Ginny pulled him away and looked into his eyes. “You're her only son, she can't live without you.”
A smile tugged at his lips as he bent his head and kissed her. Something in his eyes flashed as he covered her mouth with his, but it was gone before she could ask what the look was.
Night had fallen, and as they sat in front of the fire, facing each other, Draco let his fingers trace over her jaw softly. When she leaned over and kissed him, he pulled her onto his lap.
“We should have called Blaise and Pansy,” Ginny said thoughtfully, as she snuggled closer to him.
“I don't think they'd enjoy this,” Draco murmured as he ran his fingers through her hair. “I don't fancy shagging Pansy anyway, she's too demanding.”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “I wasn't talking about this. I meant maybe we should have talked to them about your father.”
His calm face hardened at her words. “There's nothing to discuss.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It's a dead issue. He's dead. It's just how it is. I've come to accept that I'm never going to find out the truth. Sometimes things just happen and there's nothing you can do about it.”
Ginny frowned. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it.”
His gray eyes slid to her and he shook his head, bringing her mouth to his. He didn't say anything as they kissed, because there was nothing to say. All he wanted to do was show her how much he loved her, how much he appreciated her for what she had done for him. She'd made him a better person, and he couldn't imagine his life without her.
“He wants to go out to dinner,” she said, pulling the towel from her hair and charming it so it was dried and curled. “I have to find something to wear, which if why I called you.”
Pansy, who was busy looking through her clothing, muttered, “Sheesh, you don't have too many dresses, do you? And why do you have a red one? That will clash terribly with your hair. Maybe the emerald or black one.”
“I don't have too many choices,” Ginny remarked. She had on a pair of gray sweatpants and one of Draco's shirts. “Would you pick something?”
“You have two dresses that will look good with your hair, so why did you need me to come over?” Pansy asked, staring at her. She frowned. “Ginny, what's really going on?”
The redhead frowned and plopped down on the bed. “I think he's going to propose,” she said quietly. “What if he does?”
Pansy grinned. “Well, what are you so anxious about? You want to marry him, right? So then you'd say yes.”
“It's a big step,” admitted Ginny. “I wonder if he's only doing this because of the fallout with his mother.”
Pansy shook her head. “He's Malfoy, we've known him for years. If he didn't want to do something, he wouldn't.” Her mouth twitched as she headed for the door. “Go with the green dress, and have fun. I have things to do.”
When she was gone, Ginny sighed. Then she got dressed and left the flat to meet Draco.
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