"You're going to look so lovely tonight!" she coos to her daughter as she taps on the section of hair wrapped around the curling iron. It's hot enough to the touch that she knows to let it go, and just as she thought, her lovely dirty blonde lock falls into place with the rest of her steaming locks framing her heart shaped face. One final section on the left side of her part is left, but she can tell she's anxious and nervous about the time. She twiddles her fingers as she nibbles on her lip and inhales slowly.
As she wraps another section around the curling iron's barrel she calmly tell her, "Don't worry, love. We're almost done. We still have twenty minutes before we have to leave."
She bites her cheek at that point, but does stop with her thumbs. Instead, the young girl starts rummaging through her purse, taking out her nude pink lip gloss, her plum shade lip stick, and her mint flavored chap stick. Following that, she takes out her eye shadow and a compact. The final thing she takes out is a roll of bills, and she slowly starts counting. THe older woman turns off the curling iron then, and reaches over for a bottle of hair spray to set her curls. As she finishes the back, she walks around her daughter and tells her to hold her breath as the mother covers her daughter's eyes and puts the final spritz in the front. THe young girl's rebellious streaks of red are highlighted in her curls, and the mother can't help smile at how precious she looks. Her daughter initially got those streaks because she wanted to be just like her hero, Ginevra Weasley, world famous chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. But now the mother wonde if she keeps them to keep the attention of a certain red haired interest.
"So, where are you going on your date?" she asks her daughter as she leans down to dab a little shimmer on her eyelids. She moves a strand of her hair behind her daughter's ear as her cheeks redden a smidge. The mother laughs, teasing how blush wasn't even going to be necessary with this natural tint. Just then, she hears her daughter's door push open and a laugh come from the door frame.
"Haha, hi. I'm sorry, did I hear something about a 'date?'"
Her daughter's jaw tightens as her eyes widen in fear as she stares past her mother and into the mirror to look at the woman's tall blond husband's frame. She goes back to nibbling on her bottom lip again, and twiddling her thumbs so much, the mother would think she was trying to rub the skin off of her forefinger. THe mother hums in confirmation to her husband's question, and tells her daughter to smile and keep her lips tight as she picks up her chap stick and lip stick.
"When did you tell me we were going out on a date?" Draco asks his wife, leaning his hip against the door frame and crossing his arms in irritation. She shakes her head, not wanting to belabor the discussion but growing nervous herself. Neither her daughter nor she had agreed on how to tell Draco, so she had hoped she could sneak her out and explain to Draco over a cup of tea after. Yet, that didn't look like that was going to happen anymore.
Draco walks into the room and stands behind his daughter, looking her over, then keeping his gaze trained on his wife he leans back and sits on the bed. His hands go back and he leans on them as he swallows loudly. She can see his tongue push against his cheek. His eyes squint at her. She gives her daughter a quick once over, then kisses her forehead and tells her to go wait by the door.
"It's almost time, baby."
Her daughter Melina gathers all her things back into her purse, then she grabs her silver white shawl. Draco's breath catches in his throat as he sees her wrap it around her delicate frame, and he looks away as a pained gasp tries to escape him. HIs wife's own face mirrors his, but she waits for him to speak. After a moment to compose himself, he swallows then turns towards her. His look is cold, but it's commanding.
'Speak.'
"She was asked out on a date by a respectable young person who I personally find very trustworthy," she says. Her words come out defensive, but it's the truth. Melina was so excited when she came back home from a visit to her friend Roxanne's house. Roxanne's family was having a get together, and seeing that Roxanne's aunt is after all her favorite quidditch player in the world, Melina just had to go. Hestia, her mother, was not one to keep her children from their dreams, so she gave her permission. She was overjoyed at the prospect of meeting the famous Weasley, and secretly, Hestia was even a bit jealous. Being scared of heights made playing quidditch a bit of a challenge for her, but that doesn't mean she can't enjoy watching the sport. And Ginny is brilliant to watch. In matches, and in person too. It was no secret she had just a bit of a crush on this star player, but she preferred to keep that unmentioned. So yes, her daughter was ecstatic to meet her in person. Yet, that wasn't the highlight of her day it turned out. It was coming to meet and get to know Roxanne's cousin on her Uncle Bill's side.
Bill Weasley, her daughter told her, was a rather handsome man. And his wife Fleur was drop dead gorgeous. Just stunning. So of course they had beautiful children. And luckily for her daughter, one of those gorgeous children had many similar tastes and interests as her.
They hit it off, and had been sending letters to each other all summer. Being a mommy's girl, Melina told her everything, and would often hand her the letters to read because she wanted to be sure that she read what she read properly, and that she wasn't reading too much into things.
Young love is ever so precious, and she was glad to be able to see it come to fruition so beautifully before her. But her husband... This is his baby girl. His precious daughter.
"She's still a baby. She's not supposed to accept dates, no matter how respectable or trustworthy."
"She's not going to be a baby forever, Draco. Let her have this."
His eyes glaze over. He just stares at Hestia, not even seeing her. He's just looking. Then his gaze moves up, and their eyes meet. His eyebrows come together, and sincere heartbreak is there as he says, "But she's my baby..."
At those words, tears start rolling out and Hestia immediately rushes to him, pulling his head to her chest as she strokes his hair and gives him soothing words.
"She'll always be your baby, but she's a big girl. She's a fourth year, and she sees all her friends finding people already."
She can feel her husband ready to fight her, to say that she can't just date because other people are dating, but Hestia is quick to answer his unspoken retort: "I know she's not just going to date, or supposed to date. She's been interested in people before, and Merlin knows how many boys have been after her already."
"I don't even know this kid though," Draco says, rubbing his cheek into her bosom. She bends down and kisses the top of his head. The doorbell rings then, and she smiles.
"Then I hope you're both ready to meet."
She squats down to wipe his tears, and he gives her a quick kiss on the lips before her fingers intertwine with his and she dra him to the front door.
"Wow, you look amazing," they hear Melina say after she opens the door. Draco's hold on his wife tightens; he's not ready to hear those words. But she can sense surprise when the responding voice says that she looks stunning too. Melina's hand reaches out, and comes back holding a white lace, gloved hand attached to a very startled, nervous girl. A quickly disappearing and reappearing smile on a rocker looking girl face down towards the Malfoys. Hestia repress a chuckle when she notices how Dominique Weasley's hand nervously squeezes Melina's, just as Draco's unsure hand squeezes hers.
The reddish blonde girl before her moves her left hand up and down, almost unsure as to whether it would be best to wave or shake hands, so Hestia ste forward herself and extends her hand.
"Hello Dominique. It's nice to finally meet you in person. I've heard lots of great things," she says with a wink. Melina blushes profusely. She tugs on Draco's hand gently, and then a quick hello tumbles out from him too.
"I love your eyeliner by the way," she mentions to the young girl. "It's a look I've always wished I could pull off, but I can barely do the bottom line, much less a cat eye."
She smile's a warm smile then, looking away from the woman as her hand goes up and pushes her hair from one side of her head to the other. Like magic, her part falls perfectly on the other side.
"Thanks Ms," Dominique starts, but she quickly cuts in.
"Hestia or Tia, please. None of this Ms. or Mrs. business, understand." After a pause, she jokingly tease, "Unless you're planning on formally asking to date our baby already?"
Dominique's lovely pale face is as quick to redden as the youngest Malfoy, and they both wear a deep shade of red at Hestia's words. But where they are quick to be bashful, her husband is quick to set matters straight.
"Nope! Nope, nope, nope," he says, shaking an accusatory finger both at his wife and the girls.
"No 'dating' and no... Going steady, or whatever kids say anymore. One date, and you treat my baby right, you understand? I may not know your father all that well, but I do know your knucklehead of an uncle quite well. Unfortunately. I can get a message to him in lots of ways."
Hestia's eyes widen at his words, so she lets go of his hand as walks to the girls, quickly assuring that he's just messing around with the duo. She rushes them out the door, and closes it behind her as she takes out her cell phone and snaps a few quick pics of the couple.
"Mooooom," Melina whines in embarrassment after the third one.
"Ok, last one this time. Honest."
But she can't help it. These two girls are simply too gorgeous, and she wants to document Melina's first date at all costs as best as she can. After her final picture, she places a kiss on Melina's cheek, and gives Dominique a tight hug. Her own "you take care of my baby, ok" speech gets quickly whispered in her ear, but they know and she knows that there is nothing to worry about.
"Don't worry, ma'am. We're just going down the street for ice cream, and maybe a pizza? Right Melina?"
Dominique turns quizzically towards Melina as she nods, a swooning look coming over her features as she realizes that Dominique's really been listening. Hestia's heart warms at the sight too so she gives them both another quick hug.
As they say their goodbyes to the woman, and begin to walk away with their hands interlocked, Malfoy screams out the second story window, "Have her back by 8:30! I don't want her out late!"
"9:30," she's quick to correct. "Give me a call if you guys need anything!"
She heads back in and locks the door, then shouts up the stairs, "You know her uncle's trailing after them too, right? I trust George very well. And it's pretty much his fault they like each other, so he owes me anyhow."
"That numskull?" Draco exclaims as she reaches their bedroom door. He's on the bed, hands over his face, and him laying down on his back. She walks over to him and takes his shoes off as she mentions that yes, him. He likes how close Melina and Roxanne are, and so he keeps a good eye on her because Hestia keeps a good eye on them too.
"Besides, poor girls. Knowing George, he's going to pull at least one prank of them before the end of the night. Something's gotta make it memorable, wouldn't you agree?"
She lies down next to him, leaning on her left elbow as she plays with his hair, then his shirt buttons.
"You sound like you've been planning this for a while," he says in resignation, finally accepting that this is really happening. And it is. But it isn't all bad.
"Well, yes, I have. I mean, when was the last time we had the house all to ourselves?" she asks. With Scorpio spending the night at the Potter's and Melina out for three hours, there's lots of alone time for her and Draco.
"Ok. Well now I can see how you can make it up to me that you didn't warn me my baby was going out on her first date tonight," he says as his left hand goes down to rest on his tummy, and his right goes to rest under his head.
She bends down and gives him a soft kiss, smiling as she pulls back.
"And for that I'm really sorry. So tell me, what can I do?"