Series: Love Will Always Prevail
HP: Every Flower Has Its Thorns
Summary: After much insistence, Magnolia takes Draco to meet the Dursleys. How will the meeting go? DracoxOFC.
Author: xxPyRaxx
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in, around or about the Harry Potter franchise; it all belongs to the wonderful and amazing J.K. Rowling. I only own the characters and plot lines you guys don't recognize or haven't thought of.
Every Flower Has Its Thorns
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Magnolia was not happy, not one bit. Instead she was very nervous; her fingers unconsciously twisted and knotted into her locks.
For weeks, Draco had kept persisting her get in touch with the relatives she would much rather forget than ever see again. She'd gave him continuous lies to cover up the fact that she didn't want to deal with her Aunt and Uncle again but Draco saw right through her fibs. Late one afternoon, while Maggie was working at the hospital, Draco went up to Harry's office and asked for him to find the Dursleys; where- ever they went into hiding. Harry was both a little suspicious and taken aback at the blonde's request, but he eventually used his Auror skills to track them down.
So here she was, walking down an unknown neighborhood and street to the house where a piece of paper claimed where the Dursley's have scampered into hiding since the Wizarding War.
"It will be fine, Maggie" Draco reassured as he pulled her fingers from her hair.
"You don't know them. They make Voldemort look like Dumbledore". At the name of the vanquished Dark Lord, Draco couldn't help but squeeze her fragile hand.
"I've heard some of your horror stories though" Draco responded before he tenderly pressed his lips to the back of her somewhat bony hand.
"The stories don't compare to their attitudes" Maggie replied.
"Well, I'll get to experience that first hand" Draco said as they came up to the address.
With each step Magnolia took towards the house, her felt herself tremble. She did not want to be here. She would rather give a very agonizing birth than be here. Just hearing the phrases 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' scared her beyond words. How could she spend time with the two very people who made her fear it?
"Look, we'll go in. Have some tea, talk and then we'll go" the grown blonde wizard told her as they walked up the driveway with the blue Toyota Prius.
"Draco, I really-" she began to say but her boyfriend cut her off.
"We won't stay more than an hour. I promise".
As she sighed in defeat, Draco rang the Muggle doorbell before he grabbed her hand to give it a comforting squeeze. Draco would stand beside her, until either of them died.
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"What are you doing here?!" a shriek came not long after the door was opened.
"Hullo, Aunt Petunia" Magnolia greeted so softly, it could have been mistaken for a breeze of the wind.
'I can't do this', Magnolia thought to herself, 'I can't face them. This is too hard. Too terrifying'.
Her Aunt's grip on the door tightened and her eyes squinted, "What do you want, you little freak?"
"Mrs. Dursley" Draco spoke up for the first time, "Would you be so kind and invite us in, like good gracious hosts? We would like to speak to both you and Mr. Dursley".
Petunia pressed her too thin lips together as she swept her eyes behind the intruding guests, to see if any of the neighbors were watching, before allowing the two 'freaks' into the new house.
Petunia grabbed her niece painfully on her upper arm, stopping her on the mat inside the front door.
"Wipe your disgusting boots on the mat before taking them off" the aging woman snapped in hate as she closed the door behind them.
"Yes, Aunt Petunia".
"Vernon!" the Aunt shrieked, "Vernon, come see our visitors. I'm sure you'll be somewhat pleased".
Seconds later, both Draco and Maggie heard the house's floor creak and groan under the weight of an very obese man, than followed by a stomping down stairs.
"Whose at the door, my Pet" Maggie Uncle questioned as he came closer and closer but then stopped when he saw who stood in the entry way, "YOU!" he boomed, his face turning red.
Maggie couldn't help but tremble as the never-forgotten fear of her uncle came rushing back to her.
"The blonde one wishes to speak with us" Petunia stated as she came to join her enraged husband's side.
"How rude of me. My name is Draconis Lucius Malfoy. Pureblood and heir to the Malfoy fortune. And Maggie and I would very much like to speak to the both of you".
"Oh, she does, does she?" Vernon questioned with menace.
"Well, how about some tea?" Petunia offered like the gracious host she never was to begin with.
"That would be splendid" Draco agreed with a nod.
"Well, don't just stand there you useless girl, go get the tea!" Vernon barked loudly.
Maggie couldn't help but jump at her Uncle's voice. She was spent all these years without hearing that tone, she had forgotten how much it frightened her, until now. It was like she never left. Her hands grew clammy inside her boyfriend's grip. She flinched at every noise and the vocal insults drilled further and further into her brain, reminding her to never forget them.
"Yes, Uncle" Magnolia whispered and began walking where she must have thought the kitchen was, but the tug on her hand stopped her before she could get too far.
"Perhaps Mrs. Dursley, you, could retrieve the tea" Draco suggested, his grip never wavering off Maggie's hand, "We are the guests after all".
"No, it's alright" Maggie voiced softly as her other hand went to his, gently prying his fingers off. When his fingers were all released, she added, "I'll go get the tea" and she continued towards the kitchen.
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Finding the kitchen in her relative's new house, wasn't all that hard to find and it was decorated just how it was in the other house. With shaky limbs and clammy hands, she put the kettle on the stove and searched through the cabinets in search of tea cups, milk and the bowl of sugar. In the background of the clinking of fragile porcelain on each other, Magnolia could hear the faint sound of voices coming from the living room. Draco was aweing her relatives about his elegant life in the Manor. They both listened with open and eager ears, and watched him with wide adoring eyes. Her Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon gave Draco Malfoy the attention she selfishly craved to have with her relatives.
It was like she never left. The roles, the rules and the hateful looks were all the same. Nothing changed, she was still the unwanted urchin of a girl. Perhaps, that's all she ever really was. An unwanted orphan who was meant to serve her relatives, instead of having a life of her own; like she dreamed of having.
"GIRL!" Vernon's booming voice shook not only her, but the house as well, "Where is that tea? Are you stealing food again?!"
"No! No, Uncle Vernon. I'm coming, just a minute!" she called back as she quickly fixed the tea in the cups before she placed them on the serving tray to carry them out.
As she walked towards the living room, her hands shook in fear and nervousness.
"What took you so long, girl?" Vernon demanded as Maggie set a cup of hot tea down beside her Aunt.
"It's a new house, Uncle. I didn't know where everything was" Maggie whispered fearfully as she handed Draco his cup and began to serve her Uncle.
Just as she served him his cup, her Uncle gripped her wrist tightly in her large beefy hands, "You went in our fridge didn't you, you little bitch?" the overweight man hissed at her, "Been away all these years, and you fall so easily back into your old stunts, huh?" The man raised his other beefy and before Draco could do anything, Maggie was backhanded across her cheek.
"This one is always stealing from us" Petunia explained to the graduate Slytherin, as if it excused the smack, "Make sure she doesn't steal from you too. You'll steal anything right from under you very nose".
"Mister and Mrs. Dursley, backhanding her is not acceptable" Draco cried in outrage as he stood up from the chair.
"You don't know her like we do Mister Malfoy" Petunia replied, as she gestured to the young woman who trembled in her Uncle grip.
"Negative. I've spent over two decades in her company. She is not a thief".
"Stop it, Draco" Maggie spoke up, even though her voice wasn't much louder than a mouse.
"Shut up, girl!" Vernon cried as he raised his hand again to smack her once more, only to be stopped by something small and circular pressing against his Adams Apple.
"Release her, now" Draco demanded as he held his wand up to her relative's neck. When he didn't see his grip loosen, he repeated his demand as he pressed the tip of his wand deeper into his throat, "You are going to release her Mister Dursley, and the four of us are going to have a civil conversation. We came here for a reason".
"You can't do magic outside of that freak school of yours" Vernon challenged the arrogant Slytherin with a smirk.
"I can, Mister Dursley. You're niece and I both can. You see, after a witch or wizard turns the age of seventeen, a tracker spell is broken; granting us the ability to cast any and all spells we choose. Don't make me tell you again, Mister Dursley".
Vernon scowled as he released his niece's thin wrist, which she cradled to her chest, "Don't just stand there girl, there are buttons and pockets for you to fix!" he ordered as he nodded towards a chair full of discarded clothing and a small sewing kit.
Wordlessly, Magnolia nodded and began to work on sewing on the buttons.
"No, I want Maggie in on the conversation too. She is a part of it as well".
"She can speak when she is addressed, Mister Malfoy. Please, sit. Sit" Petunia reasoned as she gestured for him to sit back in his chair.
"The reason of our visit is for a joyous occasion" Draco began, "An occasion that would mean a lot to the both of us".
"And what would that be?"
"You're permission".
"Our permission for what, Mister Malfoy?"
"I was told that is a traditional custom to ask the guardians," Draco gestured to both of the Dursleys, "for permission in order to ask for your niece's hand in marriage".
Both guardians reacted to the news in their own way. Petunia almost choked on her tea, while Vernon almost crushed the cup with his bare hands, before both of them laughed.
"You want to marry her?" Petunia pressed her lips together.
"Have you gone mad? Look at this urchin!" Vernon boosted as he gestured towards his good-for-nothing niece.
Draco did look over at Maggie. She sat quietly on the edge of the chair; as if she had to flee at any moment, with a dress shirt flung over her lap and her still trembling fingers expertly weaving a needle and thread through the small holes in the button.
"I want her to be my wife" Draco announced strongly.
"But there are so many better women out there, Mister Malfoy, why would you want her?"
"I obviously see things about her that you two do not. I see now, how the two of you treat her. I thought that by visiting, I would ask for her hand. Instead, I am telling you; she and I will be married. The wedding will be grand, expensive and elegant; much like her life, and I was hoping for you to share it. But I guess I will withdraw that experience from you".
"What?!"
"No!"
"Yes. I see that you don't care for your niece's happiness, I thought the stories she told me about you were just that; stories. I was wrong.
"The girl is lying. She's always been telling dreadful stories of us ever since she was a little girl. You can't believe a single word she says!" Petunia exclaimed desperately in order to have the life that she so desperately wanted.
"The girl spits out lies as if they are the truth!" Vernon boomed as his face turned to the color of a plum, "which obviously you have been believing too easily. Tell him urchin. Tell him that you were spreading nothing but lies about us!".
"She hasn't been lying, Mister Dursley, not what she's been saying about you and your wife", Draco spoke up before Magnolia could even open her mouth, "There are no words in any dictionary to describe how awful and evil you two are".
"You can't believe her lies Mister Malfoy. She comes from nothing but bad blood!" Petunia said as she went to grab onto the young aristocrat's arm.
"ENOUGH!" Draco's rough voice echoed throughout the house, "I've had enough. I did not come here to hear lies about your niece. Apparently, I was wrong to honor your filthy Muggle customs to ask you two for her hand in marriage and to share her life with her", Draco than turned his attention to Maggie with his hand out, "Come on, I can't stand to be here for another minute".
Maggie, who was still sewing buttons back on the clothing, looked up at the brave man Draco had grown into, with pride. Draco had come a long way from the arrogant boy she first saw. Over the years, he had transformed into a strong man.
"Mister Malfoy," Petunia begged, "Please reconsider. I can tell you come from a family of and pride. You can do so much better than my niece. There are so much better women out there than her, just give it time and you will find the right one".
"Mrs. Dursley, you have no right to decide that your niece is not good enough for me. I can decide that all on my own, and; for your information, she is who I chose to be my wife and mother of my heirs. I can see here that Magnolia was raised in a house with little to no love and affection, with caretakers who would rather use her for their own gain than look after her for her own well-being, and who would rather pass her off to another so they don't have to deal with her when they get tired of her like a spoiled child and their used toy. With me, she will be shown how a woman should be treated; like a Queen and I as her faithful servant. She will be given her favorite flowers in a bouquet every day. She will be thrust upon with more wealth than your very own muggle Queen has in her vaults, and will be waited on hand and foot by her own house-elves like she has been for you. And another thing-"
"Draco, that's enough" Maggie intervened as she placed a calming hand on his upper arm, "It's okay".
Draco turned his attention from his unworthy hostess to his beloved. His beloved who had a reddening handprint forming on the side of her face and a split lip to accompany it. His beloved who was forced to endure this madness for far too long.
"No, it's not. They never should treat you the way that they have. You are worth much more than that. Come, I am finished with these vile animals" Draco turned his nose up at the two Dursleys as he took her hand and pulled her out of the parlor; only to run into someone else that Maggie never wanted to see too.
In the front doorway, stood none other than a slim version of the previous balloon shaped of the youngest Dursley member. Magnolia froze and clutched Draco's hand tighter at the sight of her cousin.
"Hullo Magnolia" her cousin greeted.
"You must be the cousin, Dundly" Draco sneered.
"Dudley" he corrected, "and you are?"
"Draconis Lucius Malfoy. Pureblood and heir to the Malfoy fortune".
"Are you like Harry and Magnolia?" Dudley curiously wondered.
"I am a wizard, yes".
To the two lovers surprise, Dudley reached out a hand, "Pleasure to meet you".
Draco starred at the hand with suspicion, while Magnolia leaned closer to her wizard and clutched his hand so tight that it turned as pale as she.
"What do you want?" Draco demanded.
"Nothing, I was just trying to be nice", Dudley answered as he dropped his hand to his side.
"From what I hear, nice isn't in your small vocabulary".
"That was a long time ago. I've changed since than Maggie, honest".
"Don't call her that!" Draco yelled, causing Maggie's nails to dig into the Pureblood's hand.
"Look, Draconis. I was an idiot who believed what my Mum and Dad said about your kind was true and reflected their actions onto them. And I shouldn't have. I've done so many awful things to my cousins that they never should've gone through. I was wrong. I was a dumb child who should've seen how Mum and Dad where treating you and told the police, or someone from your world. And I'm sorry. So sorry for how I acted towards you two, Maggie."
"How? How do we know that you're not just spreading lies like your parents?" Draco demanded from the muggle.
"Back when I was fifteen, I was attacked by what Harry called Dementors in an alleyway. Harry and Magnolia did something—magic—and saved me. Since then, the view I was taught to see them in changed".
Draco glared at the once overweight boy, and studied his intentions and meanings behind his words, "You better not be lying, or I'll make sure those Dementors come back and finish their job".
"I'm not. Honest" the slim cousin insisted.
"Draco," Maggie breathed softly, "Don't threat, please".
"Do you believe he's changed, Maggie?" Draco asked.
"I-I don't know for sure, but this is a start. Right?"
"I have changed, please believe me. Look, I overhead what you—rather Draconis—told Mom and Dad and I have an engagement gift for you. Think of it as a peace offering" Dudley replied as he dug into his pockets, "I found this a long time ago in the fireplace at our old house and I thought you might like to have it" and Dudley revealed a rather crumpled up piece of paper, "It's not much, but I remember you didn't get to know the ending".
Slowly—cautiously—Magnolia raised a trembling hand towards her cousin's outstretched one and took hold of the piece of paper. She unfolded the single piece of burnt paper and read the words that were faintly hard to read.
"I know you refer to yourself at her and I just wanted you to know the end of the story" Dudley added.
"What's the story?" Draco wondered.
"Cinderella".
"Yes. She told me about this story, but she didn't tell me the ending" the blonde wizard told.
"Maggie, what's wrong?" Dudley asked when he noticed that her grip on the paper tightened more than it should.
"You! Oh, you conniving bastard!" the once frightened girl shouted in outrage, "This isn't a nice trick! I should've known that leopards don't change their spots. I should've known that you being nice was just a fun game for you, but this. This, takes things too far!"
"I-I don't understand" Dudley stuttered in shock, "What's a joke?"
"How much did you pay to have someone rewrite the ending? How much!?"
"I didn't get anyone to, I swear!" Dudley's eyes widened and he looked towards Draco for help.
"You did. I know you did. Cinderella doesn't fall in love. Cinderella doesn't get married. Cinderella doesn't live HAPPILY EVER AFTER?! You changed it! Magnolia yelled out as tears collected at the corner of her eyes.
"What the Devil is going on out here?" Vernon thundered as he and Petunia joined them in the hallway.
"I was just trying to be nice. Honest" Dudley told his parents after he told them what he gave Maggie.
"You've played some nasty tricks on me Dudley, but this. This just makes me wish I had allowed Harry to finish what he started when Aunt Marge visited. I should have let him blow you up too!"
"You take that back girl!" Vernon roared, "It took one of your kind to get her back".
"You and that brother of yours has been nothing but trouble since the moment you two were left on our doorstep! How dare you have the gull to say such things!" Petunia added.
"How dare you?!" Draco yelled back, "You are the worst sort of Muggles I have ever had the displeasure in meeting!"
"Hey, you little freak! You have no right to talk to me and my family like that in our house!" Vernon's thunderous voice echoed throughout the house.
"You have no right to be parents, nor guardians, over anyone. You, Mister and Mrs. Dursley, are probably the reason why the Dark Lord wanted to get rid of your kind for decades. He would've done everyone a favor if he killed you two first!" Draco raved.
"Draco, enough!" Maggie yelled to catch his attention, "We've been here long enough. Let's just go, alright. Can we just go back home, please?"
Draco looked at the woman that he loved, and saw that her eyes were red and tear tracks were left on her cheeks.
"Yes. Go back under the rock, you call a home" Vernon jabbed, "Leave my family in peace".
"We're going, Maggie. Let's go back to the Manor. You're right, I don't need their permission" Draco said as he gently took one of her hands in his. And without looking back, the two left.
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When Draco and Magnolia returned to the Malfoy manor, Maggie had calmed down enough to breathe without more tears falling down her cheeks.
"How did the meeting go?" Mrs. Malfoy asked when she saw them enter the parlor.
"Not well" Draco answered, as he guided Maggie towards one of the loveseats.
"I can tell by her eyes. I'll make some tea" Mrs. Malfoy volunteered as she rose from her seat.
"Thank you Mom".
Mrs. Malfoy left with a nod.
"I told you it wasn't a good idea" Maggie said once Mrs. Malfoy returned with a cup of tea to sooth the slowly calming woman.
"What happened there?" Mrs. Malfoy wondered, as she handed over the tea.
"Oh, mother. They were horrid. Everything she said about them was true. I never should've taken Maggie back there. I should've confronted them on my own."
"Well, that's all in the past. Now, we have a wonderful wedding to plan" Mrs. Malfoy concluded.
END.