Disclaimer: I don't own anything here that belongs to J.K. Rowling and anyone else associated with Harry Potter. And yes, the title is taken from Taylor Swift's song "New Romantics". Please don't sue, I just write for enjoyment! Oh, and a minor character is still alive in this story, but it's not really significant to the plot. Forgive me for any errors, I've read this too many times now to count.
NEW ROMANTICS
This had been the longest wedding of her life. Ginny Weasley had been told that Indian weddings could go on for days, but between all of the Indian ceremonies and Irish ceremonies, it became the longest series of events in her own recent history. This was saying a lot as a professional Quidditch player. While all of the events were beautiful, vibrant, and touching, she would be more than happy that this would be the final event in a long week of having to get primped up and dressed to the nines.
Ginny closed her eyes as the makeup artist began to charm a brush to precisely sweep light gold eyeshadow across her eyelid. She sat quietly but uncomfortably in a short, light blue sari blouse that exposed her midriff as the makeup artist kept working her magic on her face. Though the room was noisy around her with the other bridesmaids, family members, and the bride herself getting ready in the large hotel suite, her thoughts kept reflecting back to the past week.
A few days ago they had had the Irish wedding ceremony that went off without a hitch. The ceremony was held in the English countryside outside of London, situated in the sprawling backyard of a country house. As the bagpipes blared a jolly tune next to her, Ginny stood patiently in her rust, knee-length bridesmaid dress. Its pleated straps crossed over at the sweetheart bodice with pleats flaring out below the waistline. Like the other bridesmaids, she had a braid weaved into her hair acting as a headband, while rest of her crimson hair styled in beachy waves. Following the maid of honor and best man, Padma Patil and Dean Thomas, and the other bridesmaid and groomsman, Lavendar Brown and Ernie MacMillan, she and Neville Longbottom made their way down the aisle.
Carrying her identical bouquet made up of white wildflowers and green bells of Ireland, she flashed Seamus Finnigan a comforting smile, who stood in front of an archway covered in wildflowers and twinkling lights as he awaited the arrival of his wife to be. He nervously smiled back, though she could see simultaneous fear and excitement in his blue eyes. He looked roguishly handsome in his ebony tuxedo jacket and bow tie, paired with a red tartan kilt, complete with a sporran. In fact, all of the groomsmen were wearing identical outfits, which looked almost comical with their stark white socks and shining black wingtip shoes.
The bagpipes faded out, only to be replaced by the calming strings of a harp. The tune of the wedding march floated through the pleasant, sunny April sky. Parvati Patil entered wearing a floor length white Irish lace dress. The long, lacy sleeves remained sheer and it dipped low in the back, followed by a lace train. A small rust ribbon wrapped her waist, tying in the back. Instead of a veil, Parvati had a wreath of blue and purple wildflowers adorning her head. Her thick, black hair was styled in a loose fishtail braid. Around her neck she wore a simple jewel encrusted horseshoe necklace paired with modest diamond studs.
Parvati looked so stunning she was practically glowing as she made her way down the aisle on the arm of her father. Ginny stole a glance at Seamus, who looked close to tears with the myriad of emotions flashing across his face, most significantly, happiness.
Ginny sighed with contentment and longing as they began to exchange vows. This is how it should be when one gets married. To lock eyes with your loved ones, assured that this is the right person for you.
The priest paused for the couple to exchange rings. Parvati slipped on Seamus' ring with a slightly trembling hand. Seamus moved to put Parvati's wedding ring on when she gasped at the sight of it, turning to give his mother a watery smile. The Claddagh ring was normally passed down from mother to daughter, and since Seamus had no siblings, it was being given to his wife.
Seamus and Parvati then clasped each other's forearms, joining together. A shining gold ribbon spooled out of the priest's wand, twisting and snaring around their arms, interlocking them together. As it slowly began to slow down curling around them, the ribbon faded away. In its place remained a warm, shimmering golden light, making their clasp glow, before magically absorbing into their skin.
The crowd cheered, whistled, and cried as the groom was given permission to kiss the bride. Both euphorically grinning, they turned towards the audience raising their enjoining hands in the air before making their way down the aisle, taking their first steps as husband and wife. Blue, gold, and green petals of wildflowers showered the newlyweds from the guests' wands.
Eventually, the crowd made its way to the reception under the crisp white tent. The setting sun's rays bathed the party in hues of oranges, pinks, and purples as they settled down for dinner. Seamus and Parvati both stood to give their wedding toast, requesting everyone to hold up their tumbler of Irish mead. Sparks flared out of the guests' wands in response.
As they continued to thank the guests, Ginny found herself thinking about how they had all gotten here. She glanced around the room and saw so many of her loved ones; her friends and family happily with their significant other. How things were different four years ago when Parvati and Seamus had reunited after several years apart. Though they were in the same house and in Dumbledore's Army together, they both took different career paths until somehow finding themselves both at the ministry. Ginny vaguely knew Parvati back at Hogwarts, but it wasn't until after school was completed that they had grown close through the Ministry of Magic. At that time, Ginny was still with Harry Potter, who was and still is heavily involved with the Ministry.
It turned out that Seamus had taken a position in the Department of Magical Sports as they found out during one of the many Ministry functions all employees and their plus ones attended regularly. The now newlyweds hit it off very quickly, and before they knew it, had begun dating. There had been many pub crawls, dates, and even trips organized between the couples. Even after Ginny and Harry had broken up, she had remained close to them, and their own growing circle of friends.
Ginny was dragged onto the dance floor by one of Seamus' cousins, also clad in a tuxedo jacket and kilt. Half an hour later, her aching feet begged for a rest, and she tore herself away from the dance floor only to be handed a piece of wedding cake. Her eyes closed shut in contentment as her mouth was filled with vanilla cake soaked in Irish whiskey, filled with almonds, cherries, and raisins.
Opening her eyes, it was then that she realized that he wasn't there.
Ginny was brought out of her reverie by the makeup artist, ushering to get out of the chair so she could start on the next member of the bridal party. With a sheepish smile, she moved to the bedroom to slip on the petticoat for her outfit. It was a long skirt with gold embellishments of sequins and jewels. It felt strange to have so much skin below her breasts exposed and the back of the blouse dipping low. She supposed the long strip of brocade fabric was supposed to help cover that, but had no idea what to do with it. Unsure of it, she simply slung it over her shoulder, awkwardly hobbling out of the room.
Parvati's mother, who looked elegant in her own forest green sari, turned to see Ginny tip toe out into the common room and laughed. Walking towards Ginny, she took the strip of fabric off and wrapped it around the redhead properly, folding pleats in all the right places and wrapping it just so around her fit frame to cover the majority of her visible creamy skin. While these elaborate outfits were undoubtedly gorgeous, they took a lot of skill in wearing.
While Ginny slipped on the decadent jewelry that also matched the colors of her outfit, she thought of last night's event as she slipped on her tinkling glass bangles. The night before had been the henna party, where the girls on the bride's side brought the henna for the bride to be decorated with for the day of her wedding. She watched in amazement as the artist elaborately decorated Parvati's hands, arms, feet, and ankles with the dark substance. It had been a beautiful, joyous occasion, with singing and dancing throughout the night. She loved how Indian weddings brought together not only the bride and groom in a momentous union, but it brought together all of their family and friends together, too.
Taking her wand out of her clutch, Ginny Apparated to the wedding venue downstairs with the rest of the group. She was quite thankful that they weren't given Portkeys like they had at the Irish ceremony, as it would have done a number on her intricate updo. Her scarlet tresses were pulled up together atop her head, gleaming and shining various hues of vermilion and copper as the sun sparkled on it.
They turned to see a procession of people coming towards them with beating drums and blaring horns hovering over the parade of people. In the center was Seamus grinning from ear to ear, red and white flower garlands around his neck, sitting cross-legged on an enchanted magic carpet, hand-threaded with patterns of majestic elephants. Ginny's eyebrows rose at the sight, knowing full well that magic carpets were illegal in England. Once the groom's side paid an acceptable sum to the bride's family and close friends, they were permitted entrance into the venue.
Pocketing her Galleons into her clutch, Ginny decided she was more than happy to participate in as many Indian weddings as she could if it meant she collected money at each occasion. As she followed the other bridesmaids towards the tent made up of colorful silk fabrics in front of a fire, Ginny noticed a flash of silver blond out of the corner of her eye. Her heart jumped in her throat from shock, irritation, and most unfortunately, pleasure.
Once they had all taken their seats, the ceremony started. Ginny was happy to note that she was far away from that smarmy, tall git that had just entered her peripheral vision. The Indian priest went on to explain the wedding ceremony of the bride and groom and what each of the seven blessings in Sanskrit meant, when they rose to make their rounds around the fire.
Sari fabric united the two together, laying on Seamus' shoulder to Parvati's shoulder, who brought up the rear. They began to make their rounds, seven in each. Ginny's mind started to wander as the priest began to recite the ancient Sanskrit blessings. Her chocolate eyes were entranced by the blazing fire, which continued to crackle and waver with life with its indiscernible hues of oranges and reds, blazing as if it was engulfing the couple.
Her mind drifted back to over eight weeks ago, when her latest Quidditch match had brought her back in town. After an obligatory overwhelming feast at the Burrow with the growing Weasley clan, she popped into one of the new lounges in the now renovated Diagon Alley, Novus.
In anticipation of being the third wheel, Ginny had taken extra care to look her best. She hadn't gone out in a couple of weeks, and was getting sick of Quidditch kits, work-out clothes, and sweats. Pulling on a deep purple halter dress that not only her Aunt Muriel would call "too-low cut", it hugged her body and stopped mid-thigh. She went to work on taming her hair into voluminous curls. The accuracy of her cosmetics charms surprised her, having been out of use for much longer than should be allowed. She was enjoying the new height her strappy silver heels were giving her at the moment as her onyx lined eyes scoured the room for her mates.
A wide wave from Seamus drew her over to the couple sitting at the bar. She gave them both an enthusiastic hug and quickly caught the attention of the bartender to prepare her drink. After quickly asking how Seamus was doing, the two women quickly diverted the conversation to the latest wedding preparations. At that point in time, she couldn't wait to see all of the functions Parvati had described to her in detail. She had come to enjoy going to weddings for several reasons. First, it was an excuse to dress up. Second, after barely being home during the past few years, it was the perfect way to gather her family and friends while they celebrated and danced the night away. Third, more often than not, she went home with an attractive bloke. That was, after all, one of the reasons why she had taken extra effort to look good that night.
Just as Parvati was about to describe her wedding outfit, she heard the most familiar voice.
"Thank Merlin I arrived just in time to save Finnigan from his near comatose state," it lazily drawled.
Ginny's eyes flickered over to Seamus, who was sitting beside Parvati. Indeed, his eyes were glazed over from hearing about details he had heard far too many times to count, and his head was beginning to bob forward in drowsiness.
She spun around on her stool to see the object of her irritation. In all of his tall, platinum blond, smirking glory, was Draco Malfoy. His grey eyes were eyeing her mischievously – or rather, now her drink. Before she knew what was happening, he picked up the glass and drowned the shot that was patiently waiting.
"Hey! That was mine!" Ginny cried indignantly.
"So long as you don't threaten me with a Bat-Bogey again, I'll consider buying you another one," Draco calmly replied, taking a seat next to her.
Ginny could smell his hypnotizing cologne wrapping around her, clouding her senses. She had grown used to seeing him in his Ministry robes whenever she visited a family or friend at the Ministry of Magic, so it still startled her each time she saw Draco in plain clothes. That was happening a lot more, she noted, as she stole a glance at Draco while he called over the bartender.
Draco looked casual and collected with neatly styled hair, clad in a royal blue jumper that livened up his metallic eyes and fitted khaki slacks. Perhaps it wasn't exactly the most casual outfit, such as how Seamus tried to wear denim jeans for every occasion, no matter how formal, but this was still down a few notches from his professional and formal wear. Ginny inwardly sighed as she couldn't help but realize that he looked handsome and sophisticated no matter what he wore. Sometimes she still found it strange that she had begun to pick up this much information about Draco.
Of course, they weren't always this civilized with each other. In the early aftermath of the war, it had jarred her to see Draco Malfoy, walking around the bottom levels of the Ministry of Magic like he owned the place. Though she knew he was rightfully cleared of all charges thanks to Harry, it was still hard to let go of her deeply rooted bias against Draco. She had gotten used to running into him whenever she would drop in for lunch with Harry, often picking him up from the court rooms.
As he was a near constant presence around the Wizengamot court rooms, she made the connection that he must work at the Magical Department of Law. It made her snort initially, nothing the irony of someone as slippery as a Malfoy working for the law, but eventually came to realize his arrogance and cleverness would work in his favor in a field such as that.
That was also how she had gotten to know Parvati, Ginny realized with a nostalgic smile. The older Gryffindor consulted on a couple of War cases because of her job. After seeing Parvati enter a door she was very familiar with, a room filled with wall to wall shelves displaying clear, glass orbs, the younger woman correctly guessed Parvati's occupation. She was an Unspeakable, working in the Hall of Prophecies. With her genuine interest and passion of Divination, it was a natural progression once she had completed Hogwarts, Ginny mused.
"What are you smiling about, Weasley? Surely you can't be drunk already," Draco asked, smirking at her. He plopped a shot of Firewhisky in front of her, droplets of liquid sloshing out of the glass as it landed on the bar counter. "I'd be more than happy to drink this, though, if you feel like you can't handle it."
At the hint of the challenge in his voice, she quickly grabbed the drink and gulped it down. She could feel the familiar burning sensation trickle down her throat and pool into her stomach.
"You wish, Malfoy."
He quirked an eyebrow, amused but unmistakably impressed at her acceptance to the challenge. Ginny knew he must be thinking that she was a reckless Gryffindor, but the youngest Weasley never backed out of a challenge. Being the youngest of seven children would do that to a girl, especially one surrounded by brothers.
That was how the rest of the night passed between the unlikely almost friends: downing drinks, exchanging half-hearted insults, and even occasionally laughing at each other's jokes. Seamus and Parvati joined in as well, but it was hard to keep up with the stubborn duo. Eventually they bade their friends a good night, more than happy to go back to their warm and inviting home.
Three shots down and they were both going strong. As Draco attempted to catch the bartender's attention, her eyes flickered again to the man sitting next to her. His pointy face had grown into itself. It wasn't merely pointed, but had sharp, elegant features.
"You are so lucky you grew into your looks," Ginny commented, a slight slur slipping into her speech.
"What are you talking about?" Draco asked, his voice annoyingly more steady than hers. "My looks should be lucky they grew into me."
"That doesn't even make any sense."
Somewhere around the fifth or sixth shot, after Ginny had just laughed at something Draco said, it struck her. Less than a year ago, they barely got along, but thanks to Parvati and Seamus, they were forced to interact with each other. They both began to realize they were as alike as they were different, much to their chagrin. Though he was still arrogant, occasionally rude, and overly stoic, she had come to realize that most of those negative qualities were a way to mask his true self. He was no longer the cruel Slytherin she had thought him to be. He could be charming, funny, and even nice… to the people he liked and when he chose to, anyway.
It was through that trajectory of thinking that Ginny later Apparated with him to his flat. They talked some more, enjoying whatever leftovers were in his stunning kitchen. The light and content feeling lingered throughout the night, and even into the morning when the slightly hungover redhead found herself in Draco's bed. After getting over the confusion of waking up in a different place, she wasn't alarmed at all, much to her surprise, to see Draco's sleeping form next to her. In fact, it was her non reaction that frightened her the most.
But it didn't scare Ginny enough. It was evident that the both of them had enjoyed their night so much so, that they repeated the episode again a couple of nights later, this time at her flat. They continued to see each other nearly every evening she was in town for the next several weeks, going out for dinner, enjoying the changing season in the day, and always capping off the night at one of their homes.
Looking back, it took her at more than three weeks to realize that she was actually dating Draco Malfoy, when he had covertly shown up at her Quidditch match against the Falmouth Falcons, his favorite team. Though he was outwardly supporting the Falcons with his attire, she saw him cheer her on, enveloping her heart with a warmth she couldn't explain.
It wasn't just some dirty little secret that she was shagging her former sworn enemy. It had developed much more than that. She had come to enjoy his company in more ways than one. It had occurred to her that her family may find it strange, but she quickly brushed that aside. Ginny felt happier than she had in a long time, and was going to revel in her new found joy.
She should have realized that what went up must come down, as they always did. It was a couple of weeks later when it happened, as she woke up in his bed, soft white sheets wrapped around her body. He had given her quick kiss before slinking off the bed and hopping into the shower. They were both content to enjoy the weekend together since they both had a couple of days off. Draco had taken her to the Wizarding theater the night before, something she never could have afforded in her wildest dreams, even with her new found celebrity. In return, she had planned a decadent picnic in one of her favorite parks close to her childhood home for that afternoon.
Ginny smiled as she turned over, wrapping an arm around a pillow. Laying on her stomach, she lifted her head towards the nightstand, glancing to see the time. It was then that she noticed something familiar as the sunlight from the window gleamed against it. She sat up and saw that it was Draco's wallet left wide open on the table. She contemplated for several moments as to whether she should sneak a glance or not, but her curiosity got the best of her. Something gnawed away at her from within, telling her that she needed to investigate.
Turning to make sure that Draco was still in the shower, she nervously ran a hand through the tangle of crimson locks atop her head and grabbed the wallet off the nightstand. There wasn't much in there, but that wasn't surprising as Draco's wallet was as clean as his flat. At first it had unnerved her, but now she just smiled at the little contrasts between the two. On one side of his wallet was his Ministry ID, his fair face staring back at her seriously, and inside the pocket was a shiny, platinum old-fashioned key adorned with a bow and arrow woven behind the letter "U", currently highlighted by a thin, glowing golden accent.
At first she was about to gloss over it, when the wallet fell out of her hands, smacking itself onto the cool hardwood floor. She would know that symbol anywhere. Flashbacks to her fifth year sprang to mind, when they went along with Harry's wild goose chase through the Ministry of Magic. Even if she had spent no time in any of the other rooms, that spinning hallway of doors with each of its unique symbols had been seared into her brain forever. The bow and arrow as Cupid's bow, and it marked the door to the Love Room.
Draco Malfoy was an Unspeakable.
Angry tears pooled in her eyes as everything started to come to her at once. Suddenly, it made sense why Draco was always vague about his job. She had naturally assumed he couldn't really discuss his work because court cases were sensitive topics that couldn't be spoken about freely. Whenever she had come to pick him up after work, they had simply met in the lobby. Everything that was once so familiar about Draco vanished, leaving Ginny feeling like she was just in bed with a stranger.
That thought frightened her to her core, sending uncomfortable chills down her spine. It was like she never knew Draco at all. Was he manipulating her for his own enjoyment? Had he been using Amortentia just to get her in bed? Was this some strange, elaborate prank that she had become the butt of? From their first night alone, she had trustfully accepted drinks from him. He had far too many opportunities to slip it into her drink the other nights after. Ginny knew he was more than outstanding in Potions, and knew without a doubt that his love potion would be extremely potent.
She felt disgusted as her face flamed from embarrassment. More tears were threatening to give way, though she refused to shed a single drop for Draco Malfoy. Numbly pulling her dress over her shoulders, she grabbed her wand and belongings, she Apparated to her own flat with a crestfallen pop, just as the bathroom door clicked open.
The rest of the wedding went off without a hitch. Once the ceremony was over, the bride and groom jovially sat on a loveseat on the stage. Seamus, looking handsome in a navy tailored suit, had his hand entwined with Parvati's. While Seamus' formal wear was a sight to be seen because it was so rare, Parvati obviously and rightfully stole the show. She looked absolutely beautiful in a traditional Indian outfit, with a red blouse and a matching red and navy lengha that had intricate beading meticulously sewn on all over the long skirt and the sleeves of her blouse. A matching long piece of cloth was draped on her head. Gorgeous gold jewelry in the same color scheme adorned Parvati's head, neck, and arms. What was most striking was the ethereal smile on Parvati's face. Though she looked radiant with her dark lined eyes and rouge lips, her beaming smile was the true star.
Numerous people kept going up to them, congratulating them, and taking pictures. Flashes kept going off in the background that eventually Ginny began to drown it out while she tried to enjoy her dinner in peace. Eventually, the bridal party was called to the stage as a ceremonial game began. Sometime during the course of dinner, Padma and several other female relatives had stolen Seamus' shoes. In order for him to get them back, he had to pay up a satisfactory sum. Knowing the Irishman, Ginny had a feeling that this would be awhile.
Half an hour later after laborious haggling and jokes exchanged between the families, groomsmen, and bridesmaids, they had negotiated a satisfactory deal. Ginny grinned as she pocketed a couple of more Galleons into her clutch.
She returned to her seat only to see that dessert was now being served. Ginny eagerly made her way over to the dessert table to see several different Indian desserts on the table. There was a stack of clay shells waiting to be opened. A waiter handed her the clay dish and spoon, and she opened to see that it was a rich rice pudding. Looking for a place to enjoy her new dessert in peace, her eyes landed on a swinging bench decorated with bright orange flower garlands.
However, right as she settled onto the bench, a dastardly blond slithered into the seat next to her. There was no escaping now. Instead, she took great interest in opening the clay shell container and digging into the dessert. It was goopy and grainy and no doubt super sweet. Ginny wasn't sure if she would ever get used to the incredibly sweet Indian desserts, regardless of the fact that she had eaten far too many for her own good. She would have to double up on exercises during practice once she got back to the Harpies.
"I hate weddings," his silky voice evaded her thoughts. "I don't understand why people get married."
Ginny rolled her eyes. As much as her internal voice kept telling her not to take his bait, she simply couldn't resist. Of course Draco Malfoy the Unspeakable couldn't understand why anyone would want to get married, when he used illegal means to get women into his bed! She finally turned to face him and all of her mean thoughts faded at the sight of him in his crisp black suit. There must be some charm on his expensive, perfectly tailored clothing, Ginny thought.
"If two people have decided to spend the rest of their lives together, why does everyone else have to make such a fuss?" Draco continued, diving into his rice pudding. "Why are they getting excited? It's become fashionable to have these expensive, ostentatious weddings. Give me a break."
Ginny snorted. "I would have thought you would love such a grandiose affair."
Draco rolled his eyes, but she didn't miss the twinkle in his eyes. He was satisfied that she had finally spoken to him. Now why did she go and give into him?!
"Just get married in a quiet ceremony, go home, and go to sleep. There's no need to bother the rest of us and rub it in our faces. I've come to hate the word marriage," Draco rambled on. He scraped the insides of the clay pot to find any last remnants of his dessert. He quickly discarded the container and flagged down a waiter.
"Excuse me, can I have another one of these?" Draco indicated to the clay shell. The waiter silently nodded and returned with a second dessert.
Opening the container, Draco said with a grin, "The one good thing about these silly affairs is that you get delicious dessert."
Ginny smiled, much to her chagrin. She knew how much Draco loved his desserts, especially chocolate. She remembered the times when she had baked for him or when they had gone out for ice cream or enjoyed some far too fancy dessert at the restaurant of his choice. Only to quickly rush back to one of their bedrooms…
"Have you tried it yet?" Draco asked, pointing to her own dessert and snapped her out of her reverie.
Ginny still had the clay shell in her hand, untouched. "Don't worry, I will. Don't think you can eat my pudding too."
They sat in silence for several minutes, and Ginny was surprised to find that it was pleasant. She couldn't understand why he seemed to be in an amicable mood after she had run out of his room that fateful morning and never communicated with him again. He had sent her countless owls, flowers, chocolates, and other gifts. She burned the letters, given the flowers and gifts away, and ate the chocolates in her pajamas. He had tried to ring her Floo but she had blocked his access. He even pounded down her door a couple of times but Ginny refused to let him in, too angry and mortified at how their relationship had come to be.
She looked over again to see Parvati and Seamus grinning at the small crowd around them. Seamus had his arm around her waist while Parvati animatedly chatted with the wedding guests. They looked so content and at peace. And they deserved happiness after the rough several years they had had between the war and its aftermath. They all deserved happiness.
"I really love weddings," Ginny commented, finally bringing a spoonful of rice pudding to her lips. She couldn't understand why she was talking to him, but felt compelled to fill the silence. "The ceremonies, the dancing, and celebrating. I love every bit of it."
"Very good," Draco replied wryly.
"I would want all of this at my wedding."
"You're getting married?" Draco asked too quickly to seem calm and collected, as he had been during their conversation thus far.
"Well, someday I would hope to," said Ginny, shifting uncomfortably. Most of her relationships quickly fizzled out after a few dates. Of course, her 'relationship' with Draco had lasted longer than any of the past ones had in a long time. She needed to change the topic, and remembered something she had seen in one of those gossip rags. "So how are things going with you and Astoria?"
Draco choked on his food, almost spitting his rice pudding out. "Astoria and me?" He asked weakly, trying to regain his composure. "Are you mental? Astoria and I are just good friends. There's no chance of us ever getting together. Besides, relationships and I haven't worked out very well together."
Ginny snorted and an awkward silence filled the void. Of course they didn't work well, you idiot, Ginny thought to herself. When you resort to potion making, it's not real! Draco looked at her strangely, and Ginny was sure her thoughts were flashing across her face. She wasn't the best at hiding her emotions even if she could lie her way out of a paper bag.
He pointed his spoon at the newlyweds. "I don't really believe in the institution of marriage. Mostly because I don't know how two people decide to spend their whole lives together. I honestly don't know how my parents have made it this far, if it wasn't for old-fashioned traditions. Besides, I'm certain there isn't a girl out there in the world who could spend her whole life with me."
She felt a twinge of sadness at his words. Was he really that cynical about life? There is one girl who hasn't minded your company so far… a voice said in the back of her head. Ginny quickly quashed it down before it did any more damage to her already fragile state of mind.
"That's because you're an idiot," Ginny muttered.
"What?"
"I mean, you're mistaken," she amended. "There is one such girl."
"Really? Where is she then?" Draco smirked.
"Somewhere out in the world."
It was Draco's turn to snort. "Rubbish."
"I've always believed that Fate made all relationships of the heart when we were created but she left it to us to find each other," Ginny explained. "We were all made in pairs and everyone has a soulmate. You just have to wait until you meet her."
Draco sat there for several moments, contemplating what she had just said. He seemed to be formulating his thoughts and locked his pewter colored eyes onto her cinnamon ones. Draco looked into her eyes deeply and quietly said, "Do you think that's true?"
"At-At least in my life," Ginny stammered, a little unnerved by his sudden seriousness, "that's the biggest truth." She thought back to her parents and her brothers and their wives. They had each found the right person for them to share the rest of their lives with.
"Hmmm," Draco murmured. "Then why haven't you owled me or anything?"
"What?" Ginny said sharply.
"We've been… spending time for over nearly two months now and I thought things were going well. What the hell happened?" He looked at her with earnest eyes, looking truly confused.
Ginny resisted the urge to snort at his almost convincing acting skills. He really should get an award for looking so believably bewildered.
"I'll tell you what happened," Ginny retorted, pointing her own spoon at him. "You're an Unspeakable. I saw the key in your wallet on your nightstand that morning I left. I know what that symbol represents. It's for the Love Room. Suddenly, everything made sense. I understood why you never told me about your job. I just assumed you worked as a court clerk or something, so you couldn't tell me what the cases were about, anyway. And it made sense why I was beginning to fall for you, because you must be poisoning me with Amortentia! No wonder we always ate wherever you wanted to, you got to control the situation!"
There she had said it, it was out in the open. Ginny exhaled deeply in relief, happy to get all of that off her chest. Draco stared at her for a few minutes blankly. Then, he laughed! Hard. She had never seen Draco laugh so hard in her entire life. A tear even rolled down his face from the hearty laughter that was wracking his entire body.
"It's not funny!" Ginny snapped irritably, feeling the impulse to stomp her foot like a little girl. "My pain is not for your pleasure."
"It's just, you've gotten it all wrong," Draco said through gasps of air. "Well, half wrong, anyway."
"What the bloody hell do you mean, Draco Malfoy?"
"You were right in thinking I was working for the Wizengamot. I was chosen by the Minister to consult on several Death Eater cases. Only a select few knew what my true role was as a consultant," Draco began, once again regaining his calm tone, though there was a strange sense of airiness to it. "After I was cleared of any charges and finished my schooling, I was tapped to train as an Unspeakable. I was selected to study Fear. With my past… experiences, the Head of the Unspeakables felt that it made sense for me to study the philosophy and inner workings of fear."
Ginny frowned at that. She hoped that he wasn't continuously relieving the dark days of the war, when so many she knew had finally learned to move past it and continue living their lives.
"With my knowledge and research of fear, I used that information to consult on cases," Draco continued. "However, once the trials began to dwindle, I wanted a change. I liked my job as an Unspeakable, but I was tired of studying a topic I knew far too much about. I… I wanted to be happier."
Her ears perked up at that. Was Draco Malfoy actually divulging his inner thoughts to her?
"So I was transferred to the Love Room. After all, fear can produce hate and there is a fine line between hate and love," Draco said with a wry smile. "I've been working there ever since. So, you can see why I've become rather disenfranchised by the idea of love."
Just as she was about to open her mouth, he cut her off. "And, because apparently it needs to be said to get you to understand, I did not and never would slip you Amortentia to get you into my bed. And I'll choose to ignore the fact that you went through my things."
Ginny clamped her mouth shut, her cheeks growing warm in embarrassment. She was far too predictable for Draco. Moreover, her mind was reeling with the information he had told her. Draco had been an Unspeakable for that long? And the Minister was okay with it? He had a hand in putting some of the most dangerous criminals in their world behind bars?
Just as she was going to ask him something else, a voice called out to Draco and he got up from the swing, without saying another word.
An hour later, Draco found Ginny gliding across on the dance floor. They had finished cutting the cake and done the bouquet toss, which she ended up catching. Everyone ribbed her and poked fun at Ginny, but he simply chalked it up to her Quidditch skills.
Draco had not attended such a celebration in so long. Everyone's clothes were bright and colorful, there was loud, vibrating music, and endless dancing. While that was well and good, he was mostly here on a mission rather than solely of obligation to his unlikely friend and coworker, Parvati, and unfortunately by extension, Seamus. He was still trying to figure out just what had happened with Ginny, even after they had both divulged information.
What he had said was true. Draco had never used Amortentia on Ginny. What had started out as mutual physical attraction began to blossom. Love couldn't be manufactured, as he knew well by now. It would have to be administered continuously to have lasting effects. While he was adept at potion making, even Draco wouldn't want to be constantly brewing in his spare time.
Ever since Ginny disappeared without another word that morning, he had wondered what had happened. What had he done wrong this time? Draco thought that everything was going well. Perhaps, too well. After futile attempts to contact with her, he eventually decided that he would simply move on. That was much easier said than done. Days later, Draco simply couldn't get Ginny out of his mind. Everywhere he turned, something somehow reminded him of Ginny.
He finally found the woman he was looking for her thanks to her gleaming scarlet hair. Ginny's face was lightly flushed and strands of crimson were escaping from her carefully charmed hairstyle. She was beginning her fifth dance with one of Parvati's cousins. The bloke spun her and when she finally turned back to face him, she was met with entrancing grey eyes.
Before she could protest, Draco's arm wrapped around her waist and his other hand entwined his long fingers with hers. Ginny sighed grimly but did not reject his offer, placing her free hand on his shoulder. They danced to the calmer rhythm in content silence for a bit before he spoke.
Just as she was about to open her mouth, he cut her off.
"Just hear me out."
"Fine," Ginny replied, with a raised eyebrow. "But it had better be good."
"So," Draco began casually. "That story you told me earlier. That there's some special girl out there for me. I don't get one thing."
"What?" Ginny asked, for the first time bringing herself to look into his eyes. Instead of the calm demeanor his face usually portrayed, he felt relaxed and free. Her stubborn, fierce expression softened in response. Draco silently cheered. Maybe this would actually work out in his favor.
"How would I know who's made for me? You have so much faith in this theory," Draco continued, "you must know how I'm going to meet this girl. I mean, will she be holding a sign with my name on it? When I see her, would there be a clap of thunder and a bolt of lightning?"
Draco stopped to give her a quick spin.
"On second thought, nix the lightning bolt."
Ginny unsuccessfully fought off a chuckle.
"But, honestly. Would music start playing? What would happen?" Draco leaned closer, and started to dip her before she realized what was happening.
Ginny gave him a small smile that warmed every inch of him. "Fate will send you a sign… And your heart will recognize that girl."
Draco brought her back up and Ginny leaned in closer, wrapping her arms around his neck. A familiar scent washed over him. It was then that a light went off in Draco's head.
The past couple of weeks at work had been torturous, and not just because Ginny wasn't responding to him. Every time he had passed the giant pool of Amortentia that was situated in the middle of the Love Room, it smelled much different to him than it had in the past. It was a brand new smell that he was unable to discern, no matter how familiar it was. After a couple of days endlessly researching in the laboratory, he had made a new discovery in potion making: Amortentia scents could change over time.
And now he knew what that mysterious scent was. It was Ginny. It wasn't just her perfume, for he had realized it was likely a fragrance. It was her specific scent that was uniquely hers that beckoned over to him every day at work.
The song ended and Ginny began to pull away. Just as her fingers were about to slip out of his, he quickly reached out and pulled her close to him. Ginny looked at him with curious brown eyes. Without another thought, his hands automatically found themselves at the sides of her face, tilting her head up as his leaned down and captured her lips with his own. The sign had been beckoning out to him day in and day out. Only he was too dumb to realize it. Draco wasn't about to let Ginny go without a second chance.
When he finally pulled back, Draco could see her flushed face, and likely his was too.
"Thank you, Felix."
"What?"
Unwilling to answer her question, Draco leaned in to kiss her again. While he had come with the objective of confronting Ginny, he had equipped himself with a little handy friend, Felix Felicis. After all, a little liquid luck couldn't hurt his mission.
After coming back up for air, he could see Ginny's satisfied smile shining on her face.
"Say I've come to subscribe to your theory…"
Author's Note: I just went to a wedding awhile back, and this plot bunny popped into my head and demanded to be written! If Draco seems a little OOC, I think it works since he's riding that Felix Felicis high, lol. The dessert eating conversation was most certainly an homage to a Hindi film, Dil To Pagal Hai, and I did borrow parts of their conversation – it just fit so well with this story! Oh, and a sporran is that little pouch that comes with a kilt. Irish wedding traditions were researched on the internet, and Indian wedding traditions are from personal experience. I also LOVE the idea of Unspeakable!Draco and hope one day I can use him again. I do hope you enjoyed this one-shot! I would love, love, love if you could leave a review on your way out. (: Thanks!