Meanwhile, Pansy gathered information from her mother and the next night she had Ron take the older kids to visit Grandma and Grandpa Weasley. She claimed she had a headache and needed them to leave, but she could handle the baby. She had ordered Draco over and sat waiting for him, like a spider waiting for a fly to end up on its web.
"So Draco, what was that about when Ginny arrived here the other day?" she asked him right after they sat down.
"What? That? It was nothing! I knew you all were going to the Burrow, and Ginny wasn't here to see me."
"Bullshit, Draco!" Her eyes narrowed at him. "Fact is, I know all about you and her making out and nearly having sex!"
Draco's eyes grew bigger. "She talked to you about that?" he stammered.
"Well, she had to talk to someone when the person she thought was her best friend tries to fuck her, then drops out of her world. What are you doing with her?"
Draco ran a hand through his hair. "What does it matter? It's clear she's with Father."
"Yes, your father, the man who can read people better than Merlin himself! Do you really think he's not going to notice the two of you can't even make eye contact?"
Draco got up and started to pace. "I don't know what to say," he concluded.
"Shit! Somehow she reached the part of you no one else has. How?" she said in awe.
"I let my guard down to allow the twins in. I guess she slid in as well. It doesn't matter; she's with my father." He paused, "I spoke to him the other day. He had to leave on a business trip. I could hear it in his voice; she is the one. Not the one for right now, but the one forever for him." He sat back down.
"But is he the one forever for her?" Pansy pondered.
"No Pansy, leave it," Draco said angrily. "This is my father we are talking about! This is Gavin and Lucy's lives. What right do I have to mess it up for them?"
"Draco-" Pansy pressed.
"No, don't 'Draco' me! She hasn't reached out to me! She wants him."
"Maybe because that's the only choice she knows she has. Draco, you are dealing with a Weasley! I'm one of the few people who is educated enough to tell you Weasleys are far more stubborn than any Malfoy! Look, I love both you and your father, but in a very short time I have grown to care just as much for Ginny. I don't know who she would pick, but I do know that if she doesn't know there's a choice, then you don't stand a chance!"
"Pansy, I thank you for your concern, but think about how messed up everything would be for the twins if she were to pick me over Father! I would be their brother and stepfather, and what would that do to Father? I have made up my mind. I'll find a way to mend fences with her so Father never knows, but this is for the best."
"You damn Malfoys and family meaning everything to you, even more than your own happiness!" Pansy exclaimed.
"Ginny Weasley is not the key to my happiness," Draco claimed.
"Really? Because she's the first person you have ever included in your family who you weren't related to by blood." Pansy was actually crying for Draco.
"Don't you dare do that!" he growled.
"Then admit it!" she cried.
"Fine, I think that woman is my soulmate, but that doesn't mean we are meant to be together! Soulmates don't always spend a lifetime together. Sometimes your soulmate is your best friend and at your side for a lifetime. Sometimes they are there only long enough to teach you something. Fact is, both she and Father were apart for years and never moved on. I see how happy he is. I have seen the pictures. I know she is happy with him. That's enough for me."
Pansy knew Draco enough to know no one could change his mind on this, ever. She let out a sob at how this showed Draco had grown and at how beautiful it was what he was doing; giving up on Ginny for her and the rest of his family. "Okay, I get it, but Draco, if you want her to be happy, you have to end her confusion. There's a part of her that loves you, and I know she does need to be freed so she can move on."
He looked at his longtime friend. "How do I do that?" he asked.
"I know how the Weaselys all think. Lie to her. She told me about that day, so claim anything." She paused for a moment, and Draco saw the second she thought of the answer; "Claim that you were marking potions that day and an older student tried to slip you a love potion, but had created something for making love and you were affected by it that night. You didn't talk to her at first because you didn't understand it yourself…"
"...And I was embarrassed that I tried to sleep with you, and then was bold enough to get mad at you for stopping it! It took a while to piece it all together. I'm sorry, Ginny," Draco lied to her the next day. It did pain him to do it. He sat with her at her kitchen table. "I was mad at myself for messing up our friendship, and then not talking to you about it."
"I just didn't know what to think," she admitted.
He could see she was hurt. "Ginny, I think it's best if this stays between us."
"I know. Where does this leave us?" she wondered.
He smiled at her. "We were great friends. Let's return to that."
Ginny wasn't sure if she believed his explanation, but it seemed possible. It even made some sense. One day they were friends and the next they nearly slept together. Perhaps the potion had leaked onto Draco's clothing and she was affected by the fumes. It seemed logical to her.
The day Lucius returned, Ginny was excited; she couldn't wait to see him! She took special care in getting ready. She waited until they were sitting down at a cafe where she used the same charm that Lucius used so no one could hear them. "Did you miss me?" Lucius asked.
"I did." She bit her lip and continued, "You told me this would all be at my pace and that nothing would happen unless I asked for it."
Lucius hoped this was going in a positive direction. "I did say that."
"Then I need you to realize that I am saying this with a totally cool head: Lucius, I don't want you. I need you! I need you tonight, tomorrow, and for as long as you will have me! I need all of you."
He reached forward and took her hand. "Now?"
"Yesterday," she whispered. In what looked like a choreographed movement, they both rose holding each other's hands. He tossed a few coins on the table for their unarrived drinks and he pulled her towards the door. Once outside, they Apparated and for the first time ever, Lucius took her to his bedchamber in the Manor. His lips crashed down on hers as he held her in his arms in the chamber doorway. Both of them let go of any restraint they had. He reached down, grabbing her by the ass as he had longed to do for months, and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around him and he moved them over to his bed. He let her down and broke the kiss, stepping back to steal a momentary glance of her, finally at his bed, and started undoing his belt.
"Beautiful," he whispered. "This is where you belong."
Ginny wanted the man she loved. She moved towards him and went to rip off his shirt. He suddenly stopped her.
"Slowly, my love. We have waited nearly 13 years. Let's not rush this; it has to count."
As much as she wanted to be fucked, she knew he was right.
He took hold of her face, cupping it lovingly, and kissed her. His hands slowly danced over her body. She was unbuttoning his shirt. The sound she made when he kissed her neck was like music to his ears.
She ran her fingers through his chest hair. "I want you so badly."
He chuckled, getting off on her desire. "My pet, you are having me as we speak. Your release will come eventually," he promised.
She whimpered. Lucius pulled her top off and then lowered them both to the bed. His fingers made quick work of the front closure her bra had, freeing her breasts so that his hand could caress them. He felt her fighting with his pants to free his manhood, and when she touched it for the first time he felt himself shiver at the excitement she could cause in him.
She murmured against his chest, "I forgot- how big," she mewed.
He wanted to make love to her, but the desire for things to happen was working on him. He needed to slow her down and give her some release. He pulled her satin panties down her legs and reached for her forbidden place. It felt different, and he had to pull away to look as there wasn't a single strand of hair there! He loved that nothing was blocking his view. She was arching her back, trying to get her wetness closer to his touch. He was loving the lust that clearly filled her. After so long, he wasn't going to miss the look on her face when he first touched the center of her pleasure. He pushed her legs further apart, then while looking up at her face and into her eyes, he gently teased her love button. The look on her face and the sound she made at this smallest amount of release was something he would carry with him until his last day.
She was so ready and wet, it made his mouth water. "I must taste that," he vowed, licking his lips. He nestled himself between her legs and slowly ran the tip of his tongue along her slit. She tasted like wanton desire that could only come from heaven! As excited as she was, he knew he could make her orgasm within seconds, but Lucius loved to tourture. He enjoyed her every move as she tried to force him to cause her release. When he knew that he shouldn't make her wait any longer for what she so badly needed or he would never be forgiven, he prodded her opening with his tongue while his fingers teased her clit.
Her screams of pleasure filled the room. When she finished and was trying to catch her breath, he spoke, "Perhaps now we can continue?"
Hours later, they laid in the large bathtub in his ensuite. "I have never wanted anyone as much as I have you," he murmured.
"I forgot what a workout that was!" Ginny admitted.
He chuckled. "You're not the one trying to keep up with someone who is half their age."
"I worked with men younger than me who could only give it their all for a minute or two when they are on the ice! You made love to me for hours! How could anyone ever compare to you?"
"What do you mean?" he asked as he wet a sponge.
"Hockey players only play for shifts of a minute or two at a time before needing to rest. Nothing like in Quidditch where you're on the pitch for hours."
"I don't want you to ever leave," he said as he began to wash her shoulders.
"Does that mean what I think it does?"
He laughed. "Merlin, no! I have to go and talk with Gavin before I do that. Personally, I wish I just had to ask your father."
She leaned back against him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. He whispered into her ear, his lips only a few hairs away from it, "I don't think any shopping will get done today." The unspoken promise of what was still to come hung in the room.
"Well, we will get out at some point before Monday," she stated.
"You took two days off?" he asked, clearly surprised.
She grinned. "I knew we had a lot of time to make up for."
That night, Lucius held Ginny in his arms and watched her sleep. He was so thankful she was back and that she was where she belonged; at his side. He had dreamt of this and longed for this, but never, after she had been gone for over a year, did he think it would actually happen! She shifted, then looked up at him. "What are you thinking?" she asked.
"Mmm, about how blessed I am that you love me."
"Some things are just meant to be," she replied.
Now all along, Lucius had been working on his relationships with the twins, and while he was not Gavin's best friend, the boy wasn't planning to kill him! Saturday morning, Lucius arrived at the Hogwarts gate. "Hey, Dad," Gavin greeted.
"Gavin." Lucius smiled.
"I don't know what's taking Lucy," Gavin said, apologizing for his sister's tardiness.
"She wasn't invited," Lucius explained. "Let's go down to Hogsmeade for a butterbeer."
"Really? I thought you had to be a third year for that," Gavin replied, looking surprised.
"Not when your father is taking you."
"Oh, right." He grinned.
Once in the Three Broomsticks with their butterbeers, Lucius spoke, "Gavin, Draco tells me you're still having issues fitting in."
"Yeah, a bit," the boy admitted.
Lucius thought for a minute and knew he might have to pay for this later. "You know, there are two wizarding schools in Canada. You might feel more comfortable going to one of them. There would likely be Muggle borns there who at least know what hockey is. If you wanted to, next year, we could arrange for you to attend one of them. I would rather you were here, as I'm sure would your mother, but you need to be happy."
"Would Lucy go?" Gavin asked.
"That would be up to her. Gavin, there's no pressure; I simply wanted you to know you do have a choice."
"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"
"Not all of it, son. When we first met, you were very worried about me hurting your mother as well as Lucy."
Gavin gave him a look that reminded Lucius of Arthur. "What did you do?" Gavin asked suspiciously.
"Slow down, I didn't do anything. Gavin, I would never hurt either of them. I came today to ask you if I could ask your mother to marry me."
"Why are you asking me?" he asked, shocked.
"Because she is your mother and I'm asking you to share her. Traditionally, the oldest male is the head of the family. There was a time when women didn't have the right to choose who they married. I'm asking you for your blessing out of respect for you and the old ways. If you approve, I will ask her out of respect for her."
The younger Malfoy took a gulp of his butterbeer. "I want her to be happy, and Lucy says you make her happy. I guess she could if she wants to."
"Would you like to help me find her an engagement ring?" Lucius offered.
Gavin's face looked like he was offered a nightmarish task. "Nay sir, but don't ask Lucy. She likes flashy stuff Mom doesn't like." The door opened and Draco walked in.
"Dad, is it okay to call him Draco here? It's not school, really."
"It's perfectly fine," Lucius schooled Gavin. Lucius saw something flash across his younger son's face, like something finally clicked in.
"Hey, Draco! Over here!" Gavin called out happily.
Draco did a double take at hearing Gavin's voice and looked around the room til he spotted where the voice had come from. Lucius saw Draco looked surprised to see Gavin and his father in Hogsmeade, never mind the Three Broomsticks! Draco moved between numerous tables and came over. "Father, Gavin," Draco greeted. "What are you doing here?"
"Dad brought me out for a butterbeer!" Gavin bragged, full of pride.
Lucius was thrilled. His younger son was somehow proud to be with him!
Draco smiled at the progress that clearly happened.
"There was another reason," Lucius began.
"Yeah, I told him he's allowed to marry Mom!" Gavin was clearly pleased Lucius viewed him as a man.
Draco closed his eyes for a second, then quickly recovered. "Congratulations, Father."
"She doesn't know yet," Lucius cautioned them both.
"Should we help Dad plan how to ask her? You know, there is the kiss cam at hockey games." Gavin seemed pleased with his brainstorm. "That would be cool!"
"Gavin, I think that's something that we should let our father figure out for himself. It's kind of personal."
Draco could be proud of himself for saving Lucius from trying to gently shoot down Gavin's idea. And at least he saved Ginny from the worst proposal ever! The three chatted for a while, then Gavin excused himself to use the loo.
"There has been a big change! What happened?" Draco asked.
"I think I started to treat him with the respect he feels he is due and not like a child."
"Do you think she'll say yes?" Draco asked, knowing that Lucius wouldn't be here if he wasn't sure. A part of him hurt to have to ask.
Lucius eyed Draco suspiciously. "When all this started, you and she were quite close?" he questioned.
Draco had readied himself for this question for some time. "We were. Father, when she first came back, she seemed scared of how you would react. She needed someone close to you to steady her, and we became friends. I knew when you returned, it would be time for me to step back. It also allowed her to ensure no one else was able to confuse her. Blaise showed an interest in her right off the start. I couldn't take the chance that he was like his mother."
"A black widow is probably kinder to its mates," Lucius guessed. "I should be heading back. When Gavin returns, we'll head out."
"I don't mind taking him back. I just had a couple of things to do here. I get the feeling you have a lot to do."
Gavin sat back down with them.
"I have to get back soon," Lucius informed him. "I can take you back, or Draco is willing to have you help him with his errands."
It was clear Gavin liked the fact he had a choice, but he was torn.
Draco smiled, knowing what the dilemma was. "What's cooler than being a first year who already knows what Hogsmeade is like?"
Gavin's face lit up. Lucius understood and then reached into his pocket, removing a pile of gold. He placed it on the table in front of Gavin.
"Make sure you get enough sweets, and some for your sister."
Gavin's eyes locked on the coins. "Sure!" He took the gold and counted it. "Could I head over there now?" he asked excitedly.
Draco nodded. "I'll just be a minute." Gavin finished off his butterbeer and took off like a shot. "Really, Father! Having him buy friends?"
"He's not buying friends. Ginny gave them too much grounding for that," Lucius stated. "Buying a few cavities is more likely. Besides, in your second year, I recall buying enough broomsticks for the whole Quidditch team!"
It was only 10:30am when Lucius returned to the Manor. Ginny was in the bathroom getting ready for the day. The ensuite door was open when he entered their bedchamber. "You're back! I woke up alone," she called out as Lucius walked towards the doorway.
He leaned against the frame of the door. "Sorry, my love. I had an important meeting that couldn't wait," he explained. "I assume we're doing that Christmas shopping today?"
"I was unsure of what you were doing. I was going to head over to my flat to take care of a few things."
Lucius moved to stand behind her and snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Allow me to have a house elf do that." She nodded and placed her arms on his. "I could have them pack up everything and move it all here," he suggested.
She let her head fall back against his chest. "That seems reasonable."
"Are you happy here?"
"I'm happy with you, for the first time, really," she admitted.
It made Lucius feel bad that she said that; he knew that was his fault. "Then you will always feel that way from now on." He kissed the side of her head. "Are you ready to go?"
"I just need a cloak."
He stepped back, freeing her from the bathroom. "I have eleven birthdays and Christmases to make up for." When she stepped into the bedroom, he had two take away cups in his hands. "Some things will change, but some things will stay the same."
She smiled and took the cup he offered. "Thank you."
Ginny didn't try to sip her coffee until they were standing on the steps at the front of the Manor. She had grown accustomed to her first sip being out in the chilly air. While Lucius had been away, each morning a take away cup had appeared next to her purse before she left. This time however, when she tilted the cup to her lips nothing came out. It didn't make sense; she could feel the coffee in the cup. "What the hell?" she muttered as she attempted to remove the lid to figure out the issue.
Lucius had taken the first two steps down, then turned to face her.
She peered into the cup. Instead of the brew she was expecting, she found an opened ring box with a very simple diamond solitaire ring in it! There were six claws in the ring that were etched with rose vines, wrapped around the precious stone to keep it in place, instead of the usual four claws.
"It's time for us. I want the world to know that you are mine, and that my heart is yours and yours alone." He didn't need to say the actual words; they both already knew this was simply a formality.
"Of course!" she exclaimed, beaming. Her hands trembled as she went to take the ring out.
Lucius took over for her, removing the ring and placing the cup on the step. He then slid it on her left ring finger and kissed her soundly.
"We have to tell the children!" she said excitedly.
"Gavin already knows and is most likely about to have a stomach ache. He spent a rather nice amount of gold in Honeydukes this morning. I'm guessing he also told Lucy about the chat he and I had. Besides, I want to spend my time with you today."
Ginny nodded. Lucius then gave her the take away cup that he had been carrying. "I already had mine."
Ginny laughed. "Lucy isn't going to be impressed with this, but this was so very perfect."
"It seemed better than the kiss cam Gavin suggested."
She laughed hard at her son's idea. They spent the day going from shop to shop and for the majority of the time, Ginny was on Lucius' right side with her hand at the apex of his arm and the engagement ring proudly on display.
A/N I'm finished! I posted the first chapter of this story ten, nearly eleven, years ago. I always knew where I saw this going, but I had writer's block for a long time, unsure of how I was going to get to the end. Then someone suggested I write the scene I had pictured all that time. I did that less than a week back, and somehow the story started to write itself for me. There are other parts I can picture: another scene with Pansy, the Weaselys being told, Draco having to be around Ginny and Lucius. But this just feels done. I am happy and sad at the same time. I never used the scene I wrote a week back. It no longer fits, but I plan to keep it as a reminder.
If you have been with me for eleven years, like redbookbluebook, thank you a million times over!
This story is part of a trio of stories that started with 'Mistress' and branched off at Chapter Three. 'Mistress' is a short, five chapter story that has a sequel called 'Wife.' 'Wife' and this story are meant to show that circumstance and time can change so very much in life. But you don't need to read either of these two to enjoy this story.
I started another story on Friday a week back and have written 100+ pages already! I can't wait to start posting it! It does have a darker theme, though.