Chapter 1 An End and A New Beginning
Standing in front of the mirror, a tall, young woman stood, smiling at herself. In all the years that passed since she had left Hogwarts, she hadn't changed much. She was still hard faced, although it had softened slightly, still had a pointed nose, and she still loved Draco Malfoy. Her hair was the only thing that had changed. Instead of the short-ish brown hair she'd always had back in Hogwarts, it was now long, and red. Not Weasley red, mind you, but a deep red, almost like blood, flowing over her shoulders and down her back.
Her eyes dropped their line of vision to her white satin shoes, just visible from underneath her dress. Her hands rose from her sides to smooth down her dress once more. When her bridesmaid, Millicent, arrived, she would ask her to do her corset up tighter than she could manage to do with her wand. This is it', she thought. The day you've been waiting for is finally here!
"Pansy Parkinson, you are, by far, the world's luckiest girl," she said aloud, walking to the mantelpiece where a single photo stood. She looked at it, sighing happily. It was a photo of her and Draco, kissing each other on the beach.
Meanwhile, in a Wiltshire mansion, someone wasn't ready. Draco was in his room, trying to become the Draco he had once been. Today was his wedding day, and by tomorrow, things would have drastically changed. He would never be allowed to be with the one he loved anymore, and he was being torn apart. She loved him for the Draco he had been, the snide Draco, who would always tease her, call her names, but being with Pansy had made him weak. He bent to her every whim and every need. Pansy's effect on him had nearly cost him his love; but she had promised to stand by him. No matter what and she would, one day, get back the Draco he had been, and the Draco she loved.
Pacing back and forwards, Draco made a decision. He walked over to the fire, and knelt by it. Sticking his head in, he took a pinch of Floo powder, threw it into the fire, and stated the address he was looking for.
Mrs. Parkinson walked in as Pansy put the final touch to her wedding outfit: her tiara. It wasn't too extravagant, but rather simple. It was crown-like in structure, and a heart shaped ruby was set into the middle point. Her mother stood there, awestruck at how beautiful she looked.
They say a mother can see their daughter as a child on her wedding day, and Mrs. Parkinson saw just that. She saw herself and Narcissa holding their bundles of joy, Draco and Pansy, when they had been a few weeks old, and then her mind went forward in time, to when they were learning to walk together, holding hands to keep themselves balanced. She moved forward to when they had learned to read and write, and the mischief they had been into. Then came their first outing for school equipment in Diagon Alley, then, the holidays that were at either Malfoy Manor or Parkinson Place, each time choosing between the two. Her proudest moment, however, was when Draco and Narcissa had come to Parkinson Place, and he and Pansy had announced to everyone that they were engaged to be married. Now, two years on from that day, she stood in her daughter's room, remembering everything about her little girl's past. She and Narcissa never would have guessed that one day their children would marry each other. She wiped a tear from her eye.
"Mother, are you crying?" Pansy asked.
"N...no dear..." she said, trying to act like she really hadn't been crying. "I'm so happy for you, Pansy..." She wrapped her arms around her daughter, who hugged her back.
"Thank you mother," she said, her voice quivering as though she was going to cry too.
In the Burrow, not too far from Parkinson Place, where the wedding was to be held, Ginny Weasley sat, slightly upset.
Since she had left Hogwarts, she'd seen a lot of Harry, Luna, Lavender and Neville, because the four of them lived in a house that they had been building since their sixth year in Hogwarts, and they had completed it by the summer that they had left Hogwarts. This wasn't the reason she was unhappy though.
She looked around at all the happy faces in the room. Everyone here was engaged: Bill and Fleur, Percy and Penelope, Fred and Angelina, George and Alicia, Ron and Hermione, Harry and Luna, and Lavender and Neville. Even Charlie, who wasn't here, was engaged to Tonks. She was the only one sitting in this room who wasn't, and she hated it. She was in love with someone, who loved her back, but they couldn't be together.
The fireplace crackled, and she went to kneel by it. Could it be him? His face appeared in the fire, and she knew it was.
"Draco..."she whispered.
"Ginny. I can't get married, not now," he said, his face looking grim. Everyone in the room tried to turn away. None of them approved of the relationship, especially because Draco had been their enemy for so long, but Ginny loved him, and they needed to respect that, and they did, to a certain extent.
"What do you mean, Draco?" Ginny asked. "You have to. It's all been organized now..." She tried to hide the happiness that laced her voice.
"I know," he said. "But I can't do it..." he said. "Can you Apparate over in five minutes?" Again, she nodded.
"I'll see you in five then." he said, and disappeared.
Millicent had arrived, the corset had been tightened, and now all that Pansy was waiting for was the owl from Draco saying they were on their way. She went into the garden where the ceremony was to be held. The chairs were laid out behind a large metal arch that had red and white roses trailing from it. Her bouquet also contained red and white roses. She looked down at it. She couldn't hide how happy she was. Millicent smiled at her. They too, along with Blaise Zabini, had been very close since they were children. It seemed a little ironic to Pansy that both Millicent and Gregory, and Blaise and Vincent had hated each other throughout Hogwarts, and now they were married.
It had been hard to choose between her two best friends for Maid of Honour, and she knew Draco had struggled to pick between his two best friends for the role of best man, but it had finally been decided; Blaise would be her Maid of Honour, and Gregory would be Draco's best man.
Pansy's father came out of the house, and hugged her. He, too, was proud of his daughter.
"Narcissa sent an owl, sweet pea. They'll be Apparating over in half an hour. You sure you'll be ready?" he said with a grin.
"Of course dad!" she said, kissing his cheek.
When Draco's face had disappeared from the flames, Ginny couldn't help her heart leaping in her chest. He didn't want to get married to Pansy! This is what she had wanted, but now she felt bad for Pansy. After all, Pansy and Draco had been an item since they had left school, but Draco had been seeing Ginny throughout that time. Six years on, the love of her life was about to get married, but couldn't do it. She rushed up the stairs, soon followed by Hermione.
"Ginny, are you really thinking of coming between the two of them, on their wedding day?" Hermione asked, sharply.
"Hermione, Draco wants me to go over there I'm not going to get in between them! Did you not hear Draco? He doesn't want to marry her!" she replied, slightly angry.
"Ginny, you can't go! It'll ruin everything! Pansy will be completely ripped to shreds!" Hermione continued.
"And if Draco marries her, he'll be stuck in a loveless marriage, and I'll curl up into a ball and die." she said.
"Ginny, don't talk like that! You'll find love again, I promise!" Hermione was trying to calm Ginny down. This only made her angrier.
"RON! GET HERMIONE AWAY FROM ME!" Ginny screamed, and slammed the door in Hermione's face.
Ginny threw herself down on the bed, tears streaming from her eyes. It's so easy for Hermione to say that! She was getting married to Ron soon, so she's had nothing to worry about. What about me? I'm never going to fall in love again...Draco's the only person I want to be with and if I can't be with him, I'd rather die.
She wiped her eyes, and opened a bedside drawer. Nothing was in it, except a small pendant. She lifted it out by the chain, and put it on, before Apparating. Her bedroom in the Burrow was gone now, and, within moments, she stood in Malfoy Manor, in Draco's room.
Pansy had twenty-five minutes to go, and she wasn't nervous. She wanted to be, but everything was perfect. So instead, she sat outside, under the rose-covered arch, and talked with Millicent and Blaise, who had finally arrived. They talked of their years at Hogwarts together, as well as all the fun they had had. Vincent and Gregory stood to one side, whispering to each other. They knew about Draco's loss of love for Pansy, and his love for Ginny and they weren't pleased, but they weren't about to ruin Pansy's big day by telling her.
Millicent waved them over, and they put a stop to their conversation and joined their wives and Pansy.
Draco was crouched by the fire still, even though Ginny's beautiful face gone from it. She was coming here, probably to convince him he had to marry Pansy. And if she does, I don't know what I'll do. He went and sat on his bed. He wondered if Ginny was wearing the pendant, he had given her. It was a locket, with a photo of him in one side, and space for her to put a picture of her in the other. On the back he'd had " G, I love you, love always, D" inscribed on the back. He stood once again and locked the door, so his mother wouldn't interrupt them when Ginny Apparated in. As though she had heard his thoughts, there was a crack! And Ginny was standing beside him.
He took her in his arms, and kissed her softly. He was a wreck. Ginny could feel him shaking when he kissed her.
"Draco, what's this all about, eh?" she said, trying to play tough with him.
"Do you think I should do it? Get married, I mean...?" he asked, quietly.
"Yes, I do." She told him, even though her body yearned for her to say no.
"Give me one good reason... The woman I love is standing in front of me, not waiting at Parkinson Place," he told her. She stopped to think, but her brain was telling her one thing: Tell him not to marry her! However, Draco continued. "Ginny... If I called this whole thing off with Pansy," he paused to get down on one knee, and take out a small box. "Would you make me the happiest man alive, and marry me?"
Her jaw dropped, and she felt tears prick her eyes. She took the box from him and opened it. A solitaire diamond ring was inside it. She gasped, and simply nodded as her reply. Draco took out the ring, and slid it onto her finger, before standing up. She flung her arms around him, whispering 'I love you,' over and over again, tears still falling.
Suddenly, Ginny broke away from him. He looked at her, puzzled.
"I think," she said, " That a certain Ms Parkinson needs to be told that the wedding is off, first, don't you?"
Ten minutes to go, and Pansy was finally feeling nervous. She'd gone to her room to wait for her father to come and get her, ready to walk her down the aisle, when the fireplace began crackling. She looked at it, and saw Draco's head, suddenly.
"Draco!" she exclaimed. "You're not supposed to see me before the wedding!"
"Pansy..." he paused. "There won't be a wedding... It's over. I'm sorry."
"Draco, no!" Pansy had started crying. "It's just last minute nerves! Draco..." she paused. "I don't work without you...please don't go..."
"Pansy, it's not nerves... I'm not in love with you... I don't think I ever was...I'm sorry..." and with that, his face disappeared from the fire, and Pansy was left alone, shattered and torn.