Written for MattsMarshMello who won a competition of mine.

Written for lezonne's Duct Tape competition: Black - write canon

It Takes Time

At eleven, their only contact was the times they sat in the common room – amongst different friends – or the times they had class together. She was nothing but a girl born into the Noble House of Black. Prestigious, definitely, but he was a Malfoy and just as prestigious. All Slytherins had some nobility, and they were just two amongst many.

At twelve, they weren't much older. Classes weren't much different. They didn't do anything that made a big impact. His father spoke of a Dark Lord who was slowly gaining power amongst witches and wizards. Her family also talked of this same Dark Lord, speaking as if he was a god who'd come down from the heavens. He had the right idea, they said. Eliminate those of impure blood. Both families supported this Dark Lord; both families told their young children they also believed in this cause.

Thirteen was when hormones began to take over common sense. He noticed her long, blonde hair in the corridors, or over dinner. He noticed her pretty face and the two dimples at the side of her mouth every time she laughed. She thought he was quite handsome. Her mother told her he was from a good family. Her sister said the Malfoys were a good marriage proposition. She just thought she was thirteen and would never, ever get married.

When they were fourteen they shared their first kiss. It wasn't overly romantic, nor was it very enjoyable. It was mostly pressured by those surrounding them. Their companions. They were apparently a good match. Her mother had made arrangements with his father – arrangements that neither of them particularly agreed to – that in the future when they finished Hogwarts they would be married. It was their choice, of course, but really it wasn't. He thought she was pretty, but she wasn't that pretty. How was he to tell his father no when their plans had already started to be made?

Fifteen and they still weren't in love. They walked the corridors holding hands, they exchanged letters over the holidays, and they gave each other Christmas and birthday gifts. They kissed when they thought it appropriate, but when they were alone they rarely spoke to one another. There was nothing to say. They hardly knew each other, let alone knew what to say. They were alone in a world that had them following orders. In the end, that was probably what brought them closer together.

Sixteen was when he first spoke her name. He whispered it tenderly into her ear, startling her. Her eyes fixed on him – wide and surprised – and he smiled. His hand brushed the side of her cheek; long, cold fingers trailing down to her jaw. And then he kissed her for what felt like the very first time. It was a true kiss – a kiss that said I love you – and that was the first time she realised that maybe marriage was not such a bad idea.

In their final year, when they were seventeen, the preparations had been made. They were to be married a week after boarding the Hogwarts Express to go home. It was to be a big wedding, one that every wizarding family knew of. Only, their lives had taken a drastic turn. They needed to be married now, or they would be shamed. Their families would be furious. Their marriage was no longer something that was arranged, it was now something that needed to happen.

Seven months after the wedding and she lay in a bed nursing a tiny bundle in her arms. The child's father beamed proudly as he admired his son from a safe distance. "Marvellous," he muttered. "Wonderful." She could only smile at her own child who was sleeping soundly just mere hours after his birth. He was perfect in every way. She knew that she would raise him to be a perfect child – a perfect heir – and that she would love him with all her heart.

It had taken many, many years, but as they watched their child sleep peacefully they both knew… they both that he was the first proof that they truly did love each other. Finally.

I've listed it as AU because they were older when they had Draco, though I still think it classes as canon because of the pairing? Either way, I had fun writing this and am actually really proud of it. Matts, I hope you liked it, too!