FoI
"Draco?" Ginny said, opening the office door a crack.
"Oh, hi Ginny," he looked up from his desk, "Come in."
"What's this about a banquet on tomorrow?" Ginny asked, walking into the room.
"Oh! I forgot," Draco said with a surprised look, "Ummm, well, just consider it the reception to the Bonding ceremony."
"Who all will be there?" Ginny sat down in front of him.
"Just other members of the DDS."
"The what?"
Draco looked uncomfortable for a moment, and Ginny knew that he had let something slip.
"The Dark Defense System. My job."
"You lead that?" Ginny yelped, "You do know what I—"
"I don't need to know what your job was with the rebels," Draco cut her off, "In fact, it's better if I don't know. But yes, I'm the head of the Dark Lord's secret police."
"So is…is You-Know-Who going to be there?"
"No," Draco smiled, "He doesn't do these types of things."
Draco paused, studying Ginny for a moment.
"You'll have to meet him sooner or later."
"I vote for later."
"Yeah, me too," Draco muttered, placing a book back on the shelf behind him.
Just then, there was a knock on the office door.
"Enter," Draco said. One of the younger male servants came in. Ginny recognized him as Aaron, one of the messengers.
"Master Lucius Malfoy comes, sir," he said.
"Ah, thank you Aaron," Draco smiled, "Yes, show him in please."
"Right away, my lord," he bowed and exited.
"This should be interesting," Draco said after the boy had left.
"I'll go," Ginny said.
"You'll pass him on the way," Draco smiled as Ginny paused, "Wait in here," he said. He walked over to the wall on the right side of his desk and pushed a panel back. Inside was a very comfortable-looking sitting room.
"Sometimes I like to get away from everyone, you see?" he explained, "You'll be able to hear everything that happens, and if you look through the knothole, you can see out. This conversation should be entertaining; for you, at least…" he amended.
Ginny walked into the room and looked around. She already had a handle on Draco's obsession with Art Deco designing for the mansion, but every time she found a new room (which had been often in the past week) she was blown away by his talent for decoration. It was a small room, with a few chairs and a table in the center, and low bookshelves lining the walls. She walked back over to the panel and looked out. Lucius Malfoy was entering the room.
"Draco," he nodded.
"Hello Father," Draco smiled calmly, "No Death Eater business to attend to?"
"Not at the present," Lucius said coldly, placing his cane on the side of the chair, "I just got wind of an interesting rumor. I wonder if you can guess what it is."
"That I'm marrying Ginny Weasley."
"You don't deny it?" Lucius asked, sounding immensely disgusted.
"Of course not," Draco replied, "I already have the Dark Lord's approval."
"And what of my approval? What of your loyalty to the family?"
"I cannot serve two masters," Draco said coolly, "My loyalty is with our Master, and his interests are the interests of the family. Loyalty to the first implies loyalty to the other."
"You are an insolent brat," Lucius spat, "No sense at all of proper wizarding pride! You'd run off with that blood traitor and forget about your duties to—"
"I know my duties!" Draco bellowed, and Ginny was quite unsurprised to see Lucius pale and step back.
"I have told you already," Draco continued to rage; "That I sought the Dark Lord's approval and it was granted to me! That is the only consent I want or need. And do you think that he would give it to me if he didn't have good reason? Hmmm? I can't hear you father."
Draco yelled that last word with such contempt that Ginny was surprised that Lucius was still standing.
"No, my lord Draco," the older Malfoy whispered, "I know that you both think you have good reason. However, I must warn you; she is beyond reform. You will only bring shame on our family if you marry—"
"Do not presume to tell me what to do!" Draco bellowed, "You've gone past that right. You, Father, have already brought shame on our family when your loyalty wavered, time and again, to our Lord. And for some reason, he has allowed you to live and me to prove myself. I have, and he sees no reason to deny me rewards for my service. And with his consent, I will marry whom I choose."
The last sentence was said softly, and with the sort of finality that suggested any attempt to pursue the subject would be met with a very painful hex. In spite of herself, Ginny was quite impressed. Draco's theatrics were very convincing. Should she be this turned on right now? No, she thought, she shouldn't.
Lucius stood looking at his son for a moment. Draco sat again, his face a silent dare for his father to continue. When Lucius did not, Draco leaned back, face softening slightly.
"You will come to the banquet, then?" he asked.
"Of course, my lord," Lucius mumbled.
"Very well," Draco smiled. The effect was frightening indeed, after his screaming fit…
"Give my love to Mother," he said, by way of dismissal.
"I will," Lucius said, bowing low before leaving the room.
After a minute or two, Draco came over to the wall and slid the panel back again. Instead of allowing Ginny to exit, he joined her in the small room.
"Bloody hell," he said, sitting down. Ginny closed the panel again and sat across from him.
"Impressive," she smirked.
"I love yelling," he grinned, "Bullying people happens to be my forte. It's just that…I don't know, it's so wrong doing that to him. I have to, though. He'd walk all over me if I didn't. He's tried before to use my power to get things that he wants."
"You don't have to explain," Ginny said.
They sat there, wrapped in their own thoughts until they heard the grandfather clock in the hall chime five.
"Time to get ready," Draco said, standing and offering a hand to Ginny.
She took it, and they made their way out of the secret room…
FoI
"Antonia!" Ginny called.
The dress was so billowy that she couldn't reach the zipper on her own. A green affair with a corset top inlaid with diamonds, it was without a doubt the fanciest thing Ginny had ever seen. She wondered, as Antonia zipped it up in back, at Draco's ability to pick the most expensive, figure flattering clothes out for her without her actually being there at the time.
"You look beautiful, ma'am," Liora said, coming into the room.
"Thank you."
The ballroom was massive, but they were only using a small part of it at the front. Draco was dressed in black satin with dragon skin boots. When Ginny reached him, he took her hand and they stood in front of the Bonder. It being a private ceremony, the Bonder skipped all of the normal filler meant for families and friends, and got straight to the point.
"Do you, Draco Octavian Malfoy the sixth, take Ginevra Molly Weasley to be your wife?"
"I do."
"Do you Ginevra Molly Weasley take Draco Octavian Malfoy the sixth to be your husband?"
Ginny swallowed hard and nodded. Both the Bonder and Draco looked at her with expressions that said they knew how hard this was for her. With a deep breath, she said,
"I do."
"Then I declare you bonded for life!"
That was the last thing Ginny remembered before she passed out.
LbN: Hope you guys liked the new chapter! Drop me a review and let me know!!
