Surprise Engagement
The night was dark, the hour being close to three in the morning. Out of nowhere two figures appeared with a 'pop'. Their robes billowed in the early morning wind. The woman moved to the right side of the gate and pressed a button. Immediately the iron gates began to scrape open, allowing the visitors to make the trek up to the large stone mansion. The pair slowly made their way along the steep, winding gravel path. The lateness of the hour caused them to drudge along until they finally reached the front door. The woman knocked and stepped back. After a long pause, the door was pulled inward, revealing a gentleman with dark brown hair. He was dressed in a suit. He took in the guests with his keen dark brown eyes before speaking.
"Madam has been expecting you," he said and stepped aside to allow them entrance.
Mother and son walked into the large entryway, the door closing behind them with a 'slam'. The room was solid white granite with gold inlays and roman column reaching to the domed ceiling. The man who answered the door was standing silently by his guests, looking completely bored. Suddenly the sound of heels clicking on the staircase caught his attention. He rushed forward to assist the elderly woman making her way down the stairs.
"I do not need your assistance Maxell," she barked at the man.
"As you wish Madam," Maxell replied, stepping aside.
"Your guests have arrived—" he began.
"I can see that. I'm not blind," she spat as she reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Narcissa dear how are you?" she asked, finally coming to stand in front of her guests.
"Fine. It's nice to see you again, Agatha," Narcissa replied.
Agatha Worchild was a very stern woman in her late sixties. Her hair was steel gray and pulled back into an elaborate twist on the top of her head. She had sharp, piercing gray eyes that seemed to always be looking right through you. Presently she was dressed in elegant dress robes of a dark purple color. It appeared as if she had visitors at 3 in the morning quite regularly.
"Do come in," Agatha said, gesturing towards the sitting room.
Narcissa gave Draco a shove when he did not follow their host. The boy was annoyed. He had been dragged to the middle of nowhere at 3 in the morning and had been ignored. He sat down on the plush love seat next to his mother. Agatha waved her hand at Maxwell who disappeared through a door. Shortly thereafter, a young girl entered carrying a tea tray. Without a word she turned to leave.
"Clara," Agatha stated.
"Yes Madam?" the servant girl said softly, her eyes cast to the floor.
"Please inform Emilia that her presence is requested in the sitting room," the elderly woman instructed.
"Yes Madam," Clara repeated and disappeared up the stairs.
"Tea?" she offered her guests.
As Narcissa and Draco poured tea, Clara made her way down the west wing of the mansion. She stopped at the last door on the right and knocked lightly. When she received no answer she knocked louder. Still no answer. Clara finally fished her keys from her apron pocket and unlocked the door. She cautiously walked in to find Emilia sound asleep over a large pile of book. As gently as she could, Clara shook the young woman.
"Miss Emilia," she whispered.
"Huh? Wha-?" Emilia mumbled, sitting bolt upright.
She looked down at the books and groaned.
"Damn it," she muttered as she began to get up to move to her bed.
"Miss Emilia, your grandmother requests your presence in the sitting room immediately," the servant girl informed her mistress.
"What? Now? It's three in the morning. The old bat's mental. What does she want?" Emilia asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
"Well Miss Emilia, I'm not entirely certain," Clara answered, beginning to move towards the door.
Emilia muttered under her breath as they made their way down the long corridor and down several flights of stone steps. Finally reaching the bottom, they turned left and entered the sitting room. They found it eerily quiet, Draco barely able to keep his eyes open. Agatha set her tea cup down when she saw her granddaughter. Emilia looked as though she'd been in a tornado. Her hair was in tangles and her clothing was wrinkled. The young woman eyed the blond pair on the love seat.
"Who the fuck are they? And what the fuck is so important that you had to wake me up at three in the goddamn morning?" Emilia snapped at her grandmother.
"How dare you speak to me with such vulgarity?" Agatha shot back.
Draco sat up, now paying full attention. Narcissa looked taken aback at the woman's coarse words to her grandmother. Clara covered her mouth in embarrassment.
"Why on earth do you look like you've been through a tornado?" Agatha questioned, looking her granddaughter up and down through her thin spectacles.
"Maybe because it's 3 in the morning and I was asleep…like normal people," Lia shouted.
"That's enough. Sit down," Agatha ordered, pointing to the empty chair to her right.
Emilia rolled her eyes and walked past her grandmother, flipping her off on the way. She through herself into the chair and glared at the elderly woman. Agatha took a moment to calm down before she addressed the room.
"As matriarch of the Worchild blood line, it is my duty to ensure the purity of this family," Agatha began.
"And as such, Emilia, you and Master Malfoy will be wed," Agatha concluded, a satisfied look on her wrinkled features.
"What!" Emilia and Draco exclaimed in unison.
"Mother this is some sort of joke right?" Draco pleaded with his mother.
"There is no joke Draco. You're going to marry her," Narcissa answered, giving her son a stern look.
"Are you shitting me? Where do you get off telling me who I'm going to marry?" Emilia spat.
"I'm in quite serious. I am your grandmother. It is my duty to make sure you marry into a well-to-do and pureblood family," Agatha answered.
"Does Father know about this?" Draco questioned, his voice rising in pitch.
"Not yet. I will be writing to him in the morning. He will be very pleased," Narcissa replied.
"What the hell did I do to deserve this?" Draco muttered to himself, glaring at his mother.
"Now young man, you are not to leave this house until a wedding date is set," Agatha ordered, addressing Draco for the first time.
"I'm not marrying him. I don't know him and I'm not letting you tell me what to do with my life. I'm twenty years old! I can handle my own affairs," Lia spat.
"As long as you are a part of this family, you will abide by my rules," Agatha hissed at the twenty-year-old.
"Then why don't you fucking disown me then! Everyone would be overjoyed," Lia snapped before getting up and storming from the room.
"Clara. Escort Master Draco to Emilia's room immediately," the head of the Worchild line snapped at the girl.
Wordlessly Draco got up and followed the girl. They didn't speak for several flights of stairs. Finally Clara broke the silence.
"Congratulations," she said softly.
"Whatever," Draco muttered darkly.
They finally reached Emilia's door. It was closed. Clara knocked on the hard wood. A muffled sound came from inside as the door was pulled open.
"Sod the fuck….," she began until she saw Clara standing there.
"Sorry I thought you were…never mind. What is it?" Lia asked.
"I was to show Master Draco to your room," Clara answered, indicating the blond boy at her side.
"Oh," she remarked in a monotone.
"Thanks Clara," she said, grabbing Draco by the sleeve and pulled him across the threshold and shutting the door.
"Look. I'm not marrying you. No offense but I don't even know you. And I have too much shit to worry about right now. I don't need some fucked up wedding to worry about too," she spat.
"I couldn't agree with you more," Draco drawled, looking around his fiancée's room.
"Good. Then you can leave now," she remarked.
Downstairs Narcissa and Agatha conversed over another cup of tea.
"I do hope she comes around," Narcissa stated calmly.
"She will. She has no choice and she knows it. Unfortunately I can no longer wash her mouth out with soap for such vulgar language. I truly don't know where she picked it up," Agatha murmured.
"I can assure you Agatha that Draco will be very willing to marry your granddaughter. He is just a bit…emotional at the moment," Mrs. Malfoy explained, feeling somehow guilty for her son's outburst.
"Quite understandable my dear. He's been through quite a lot I'm sure with his father in Azkaban," she murmured, setting her tea cup down.
"I will send an owl when he is ready to leave," Madam Worchild stated, leading Narcissa back to the entryway.
"Alright. Thank you so much Agatha. I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the coming weeks," Narcissa said, exchanging a quick handshake with other older woman.