His mouth twisted into a smirk as he took her hand, squeezing her fingers tightly. She gazed at him and sighed. She had spent an hour muttering to herself back at the flat before he convinced her it was going to be alright. Her lips curled into a smile.
“Do you think they'll be okay?”
He nodded. “Your parents are good people. I don't think they'll hurt me. Your brothers on the other hand...”
She swatted his arm. “Don't be a git. They like you.”
“Yes, but for how long? Once they know we're engaged, I have a feeling it won't go over well.”
“It'll be fine,” Ginny muttered, rolling her eyes.
Truth be told, she couldn't believe it herself. Her whole life seemed like it was straight out of a fairytale – except that Draco was not her white knight, but her savior. She never really told him how grateful she was for what he had done. But he knew.
She knocked on the door and stepped back. She watched Draco take a breath, but he didn't let it go until Molly hugged him, practically dragging him inside. Ginny stepped through the door and grinned at her brothers and father.
“We didn't know you were coming by,” Arthur explained.
“Right. Then why is everyone here?” Ginny asked.
George stepped forward and said, “Draco told us to be here. Said he had something to tell us.” He squinted at his little sister. “Something is different about you, but I can't figure it out.”
“Are you pregnant?” Charlie asked.
“No!” Ginny hissed. “Oh my God. Mum, I swear, I'm not.”
Molly shook her head. “I didn't think you were. Well, since you're not and you're already living with him, then I can only think of one other thing.”
“You're engaged,” Bill said. His eyes drifted to her hand and he smiled. “Oh, that's great, Ginbug. When's the date?”
Several pairs of eyes watched her.
“We haven't decided yet,” Draco answered. He hadn't said a word since they arrived. “But we wanted to come tell you, and then we'd have to go.”
Molly hugged them both, gushing and embarrassing Ginny. She was able to pull out of her mother's grasp before her brothers had their turn. Arthur was last. Then he shook Draco's hand.
**
“She's going to be mad that we didn't tell her first,” Ginny muttered as they walked. She swallowed nervously.
“Probably,” answered Draco as he knocked and stood back. “But I'd like to think she'd also be happy for us.”
The door opened, and Narcissa Malfoy beamed before hugging Draco and placing a kiss on Ginny's cheek. She ushered them inside and supplied them with tea and sweets before she even asked what their visit was for. It was Ginny who spoke first.
“Draco asked me to marry him,” she said in a small voice.
Narcissa's smile faded. She looked at Ginny with raised eyebrows. “Well,” she prompted, “what was your answer, Miss Weasley?”
“I said yes,” said the redhead meekly.
“Of course you did.” Narcissa nodded. She turned to her son. “Shame on you. You had me worried. I thought perhaps she declined and you only brought her here for that.”
“Why would I–” Draco shook his head. “So you're not mad?”
“Why would I be mad?”
“Because we kind of told my parents first,” replied Ginny, shrinking further into the couch cushions. “We were just so excited.”
“It's no matter as long as you tell the important people in your life,” responded the woman with a wave of her hand. “I trust you haven't told Miss Parkinson or Mr. Zabini yet?”
Draco shook his head.
“I'm very happy for you,” Narcissa said softly, her eyes shining. “I only wish your father was here to share in this moment.”
“He would hate this,” Draco said, laughing. “He hated the Weasleys.”
“Be that as it may, he would see that one of them makes you happy, and he'd just have to deal with it.” Narcissa sighed before taking a seat beside Ginny. “He would have loved you trust me,” she told her quietly. “I know I do.”
Ginny's heart twisted. She looked at Draco, who understood and cleared his throat. “Mother, I'm sorry, but we've got to get going. We'll come by next weekend for tea, if you'd like.”
After exchanging goodbyes and hugs, they stepped outside. As soon as they did, Ginny burst into tears. She didn't get as far as the gate when Draco put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. She buried her face in his shirt, her body trembling.
“It's too much,” she whispered.
“What is?”
She lifted her head and wiped her eyes. “All of this kindness. I just feel terrible. Your mother shouldn't have to go through the rest of her life, and her son's wedding, alone.”
He nodded. “I thought you might feel that way. But trust me when I tell you, it's better this way. My father never would have attended the wedding as it were. So my mother would have been alone there either way.”
“Do you think we should wait?” Ginny asked.
He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Darling, I think you've made me wait long enough. I want to marry you. I want to take care of you. Trust me, my mother will be fine. She was due for some good news.”
Ginny nodded. “I suppose so.”
He kissed her then, wrapping his arms around her waist. “How about we go home and celebrate?”
With a crack, they vanished.
**
“Harry's here.”
Ginny whirled around, the train of her dress twisting with her, and narrowed her eyes. Of all the things that could have happened today, this was quite possibly the worst. She watched as Pansy shifted by the door.
“Who let him in?” she said calmly. “He wasn't invited.”
“I did,” said a voice. Draco, who had his hand over his eyes, smirked and stepped into the room. “I thought you might want to see him. I know you said you didn't, but these last few months, he's been everywhere, hasn't he? I think he might want to talk to you.”
“Draco!” Ginny shouted. “Make him leave. Throw him out if you have to.”
Draco's smirked widened. “Oh, alright. But he might want to say something before I toss him out. Is that okay?”
Ginny sighed. “Fine.”
Her soon-to-be husband backpedaled out of the door just as Pansy stepped aside. Ginny turned to face the mirror again, and nearly burst into tears when someone spoke from behind her. He poked his head in and grinned widely.
“I was told I could see the bride. You look lovely, I might cry.”
Ginny flew into his arms and laughed. “Please don't do that. You know how much I hate when other people cry.” She shoved him lightly. “Prat. What are you doing here?”
Ron smirked at her. “Oh, well, Hermione wanted to come. She heard you were marrying that bloke, so...”
Ginny's eyes lit up. “Mione's here? I didn't see her.”
“I'm hurt,” a female voice muttered. “I'm quite hard to miss.” Hermione entered the room, and the two girls squealed, though both for very different reasons.
“You're pregnant!”
“You're getting married!”
Ginny grinned and hugged her friend. “You look wonderful.”
Hermione smiled. “So do you. I still can't believe you're marrying Malfoy.”
Ginny rolled her eyes.
Hermione walked around the room, looking at everything in fascination. Ron was hovering by the doorway, and as soft music began to play, Ginny could feel her heart in her throat. Her father appeared and took her hand. He was trying hard not to cry when they left the room.
The doors opened and the guests stood. There were so many, but all she saw was him.
She started walking.That's it! Thanks for reading and commenting :)
“Do you think they'll be okay?”
He nodded. “Your parents are good people. I don't think they'll hurt me. Your brothers on the other hand...”
She swatted his arm. “Don't be a git. They like you.”
“Yes, but for how long? Once they know we're engaged, I have a feeling it won't go over well.”
“It'll be fine,” Ginny muttered, rolling her eyes.
Truth be told, she couldn't believe it herself. Her whole life seemed like it was straight out of a fairytale – except that Draco was not her white knight, but her savior. She never really told him how grateful she was for what he had done. But he knew.
She knocked on the door and stepped back. She watched Draco take a breath, but he didn't let it go until Molly hugged him, practically dragging him inside. Ginny stepped through the door and grinned at her brothers and father.
“We didn't know you were coming by,” Arthur explained.
“Right. Then why is everyone here?” Ginny asked.
George stepped forward and said, “Draco told us to be here. Said he had something to tell us.” He squinted at his little sister. “Something is different about you, but I can't figure it out.”
“Are you pregnant?” Charlie asked.
“No!” Ginny hissed. “Oh my God. Mum, I swear, I'm not.”
Molly shook her head. “I didn't think you were. Well, since you're not and you're already living with him, then I can only think of one other thing.”
“You're engaged,” Bill said. His eyes drifted to her hand and he smiled. “Oh, that's great, Ginbug. When's the date?”
Several pairs of eyes watched her.
“We haven't decided yet,” Draco answered. He hadn't said a word since they arrived. “But we wanted to come tell you, and then we'd have to go.”
Molly hugged them both, gushing and embarrassing Ginny. She was able to pull out of her mother's grasp before her brothers had their turn. Arthur was last. Then he shook Draco's hand.
“She's going to be mad that we didn't tell her first,” Ginny muttered as they walked. She swallowed nervously.
“Probably,” answered Draco as he knocked and stood back. “But I'd like to think she'd also be happy for us.”
The door opened, and Narcissa Malfoy beamed before hugging Draco and placing a kiss on Ginny's cheek. She ushered them inside and supplied them with tea and sweets before she even asked what their visit was for. It was Ginny who spoke first.
“Draco asked me to marry him,” she said in a small voice.
Narcissa's smile faded. She looked at Ginny with raised eyebrows. “Well,” she prompted, “what was your answer, Miss Weasley?”
“I said yes,” said the redhead meekly.
“Of course you did.” Narcissa nodded. She turned to her son. “Shame on you. You had me worried. I thought perhaps she declined and you only brought her here for that.”
“Why would I–” Draco shook his head. “So you're not mad?”
“Why would I be mad?”
“Because we kind of told my parents first,” replied Ginny, shrinking further into the couch cushions. “We were just so excited.”
“It's no matter as long as you tell the important people in your life,” responded the woman with a wave of her hand. “I trust you haven't told Miss Parkinson or Mr. Zabini yet?”
Draco shook his head.
“I'm very happy for you,” Narcissa said softly, her eyes shining. “I only wish your father was here to share in this moment.”
“He would hate this,” Draco said, laughing. “He hated the Weasleys.”
“Be that as it may, he would see that one of them makes you happy, and he'd just have to deal with it.” Narcissa sighed before taking a seat beside Ginny. “He would have loved you trust me,” she told her quietly. “I know I do.”
Ginny's heart twisted. She looked at Draco, who understood and cleared his throat. “Mother, I'm sorry, but we've got to get going. We'll come by next weekend for tea, if you'd like.”
After exchanging goodbyes and hugs, they stepped outside. As soon as they did, Ginny burst into tears. She didn't get as far as the gate when Draco put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. She buried her face in his shirt, her body trembling.
“It's too much,” she whispered.
“What is?”
She lifted her head and wiped her eyes. “All of this kindness. I just feel terrible. Your mother shouldn't have to go through the rest of her life, and her son's wedding, alone.”
He nodded. “I thought you might feel that way. But trust me when I tell you, it's better this way. My father never would have attended the wedding as it were. So my mother would have been alone there either way.”
“Do you think we should wait?” Ginny asked.
He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Darling, I think you've made me wait long enough. I want to marry you. I want to take care of you. Trust me, my mother will be fine. She was due for some good news.”
Ginny nodded. “I suppose so.”
He kissed her then, wrapping his arms around her waist. “How about we go home and celebrate?”
With a crack, they vanished.
“Harry's here.”
Ginny whirled around, the train of her dress twisting with her, and narrowed her eyes. Of all the things that could have happened today, this was quite possibly the worst. She watched as Pansy shifted by the door.
“Who let him in?” she said calmly. “He wasn't invited.”
“I did,” said a voice. Draco, who had his hand over his eyes, smirked and stepped into the room. “I thought you might want to see him. I know you said you didn't, but these last few months, he's been everywhere, hasn't he? I think he might want to talk to you.”
“Draco!” Ginny shouted. “Make him leave. Throw him out if you have to.”
Draco's smirked widened. “Oh, alright. But he might want to say something before I toss him out. Is that okay?”
Ginny sighed. “Fine.”
Her soon-to-be husband backpedaled out of the door just as Pansy stepped aside. Ginny turned to face the mirror again, and nearly burst into tears when someone spoke from behind her. He poked his head in and grinned widely.
“I was told I could see the bride. You look lovely, I might cry.”
Ginny flew into his arms and laughed. “Please don't do that. You know how much I hate when other people cry.” She shoved him lightly. “Prat. What are you doing here?”
Ron smirked at her. “Oh, well, Hermione wanted to come. She heard you were marrying that bloke, so...”
Ginny's eyes lit up. “Mione's here? I didn't see her.”
“I'm hurt,” a female voice muttered. “I'm quite hard to miss.” Hermione entered the room, and the two girls squealed, though both for very different reasons.
“You're pregnant!”
“You're getting married!”
Ginny grinned and hugged her friend. “You look wonderful.”
Hermione smiled. “So do you. I still can't believe you're marrying Malfoy.”
Ginny rolled her eyes.
Hermione walked around the room, looking at everything in fascination. Ron was hovering by the doorway, and as soft music began to play, Ginny could feel her heart in her throat. Her father appeared and took her hand. He was trying hard not to cry when they left the room.
The doors opened and the guests stood. There were so many, but all she saw was him.
She started walking.
Author notes:
The End.
ReverseBeauty is the author of 10 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 14 members. Members who liked Stronger also liked 511 other stories.
This story is a favorite of 14 members. Members who liked Stronger also liked 511 other stories.
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