Christmas morning at the Burrow was always enjoyable. The presents were scarce, but the Weasleys followed the old cliché of making up for what they lacked in money with love. Ginny adored being around her family, even now, despite everything that had happened.
"Merry Christmas," she said to Harry, pecking him on the cheek and handing him a present.
"Thanks Gin!" Harry said and handed her a small box in return. Ginny smiled and tore open the paper to reveal a long, jewelry box.
"Open it!" Harry urged. Ginny slowly lifted the lid and gasped when her eyes landed upon a beautiful gold chain and a predictable tear-shaped ruby for a charm. Ginny's mouth dropped open. She'd never owned anything so lovely in her entire life.
"Oh Harry!" she exclaimed, "It's-it's gorgeous! Where?" she stuttered, "When? Oh you shouldn't have, really!" Ginny yelled jumping up and giving Harry an enthusiastic hug. Harry smiled. Ginny had given him exactly the reaction he had wanted.
"I got it in Hogsmeade." Harry said but didn't elaborate; he could tell her about all the sneaking out Hermione and him had done when Mr. and Mrs. Weasley weren't around.
"Open yours!" she said earnestly. Harry smiled and ripped open his present to reveal a set of Gryffindor Quidditch robes. Confused, he slowly took them out of the box to get a better look and two silver buttons fell from the folds of the robes onto the ground. Harry picked them up and curiously read, "Head Boy," off one button and, "Head Girl," off the other.
"They're your parents' badges," Ginny supplied, "and the robes are your father's old Quidditch robes."
Harry looked up at Ginny with his emerald eyes shining with genuine emotion.
"But, but how?" he asked, amazed.
"I wrote to Sirius and Professor Lupin to ask them if they had anything of your parents that you might want. Sirius didn't, because he lost most of his possessions when he went to Azkaban, but Professor Lupin said he had those and he'd be glad to send them to me."
"Thank you." Harry said. "I've just always assumed that everything of theirs was destroyed when You-Know-Who sent their house up in flames."
"Professor Lupin said that your parents gave some of their things to Sirius, in case something did happen, and he retrieved them once Sirius went to prison. They didn't want You-Know-Who to get his hands on some of their keepsakes." Harry nodded, slightly chocked with emotion, and hating himself for it.
"Percy!" Mr. Weasley called loudly, breaking the emotionally filled silence in the room. He could sense that Harry would like the attention off him. "Why don't you open this?" and he handed Percy an oddly shaped box. Harry meanwhile pulled Ginny up close to him so he could whisper in her ear.
"That was so sweet of you Ginny," Harry said.
"I just love my necklace," she mumbled in reply.
"I'm glad." And the couple sat back to watch Ginny's family opening presents. For the first time in months, Ginny felt truly happy. Yes, things were going to be okay.
Due to the number of presents, or lack thereof, it wasn't long until they were settling down to what promised to be an enjoyable and equally delicious Christmas dinner. There was such incredible racket of people talking, laughing, and asking for certain dishes to be past their way, that no one even heard the pop that always indicated someone's arrival via Apparation. Ginny, however, looked up from her plate and let out a petrified scream when she noticed Lucius Malfoy standing in the middle of their kitchen. Harry had his wand out in a jiffy and was ready to curse him if he made the slightest move.
"What is the meaning of all this?" Arthur bellowed, standing up and facing Lucius, "I DEMAND that you leave my house this instant!"
"I'm afraid I have some important news for you Arthur." Lucius said icily. Ginny panicked; she did not like the sound of that. "Once I have settled my business I will leave immediately. If you take my news the way I'm planning you to, I don't intend to harm a single person in this room." His last comment was directed towards Harry with a look that clearly said that he would very much like to hurt Harry, but he wouldn't be doing anything like that today.
"What news could you possibly have for me Lucius," Arthur asked bitterly.
"It involves your only daughter." Lucius said as he strode over to Ginny, put a hand in her hair to pull her into a standing position, then grabbed her upper arm to hold her in place. Harry panicked this time.
"Leave her alone!" Harry yelled, and was about to perform the disarming charm but Lucius beat him to it, conjuring a gag and ropes. He magically contained Harry before he could even so much as start the spell.
"Let me go!" Ginny demanded, struggling against him, but Lucius had his wand pointed straight at her temple and she didn't wish to test Lucius's promise not to hurt anyone in the room.
"If you're referring to some news that involves my daughter and your son, I should tell you that I already know about that."
"Actually Arthur, although it involves this, I'm sorry to inform you that I also knew about that months ago. Didn't Ginny tell you that she tried to get rid of it?" Ginny felt like she was going to be sick. Both of her parents were looking at her like they were very disappointed in her. "I see she didn't," Lucius said crisply, watching the reactions of the Weasley family, "No no, I assumed you knew about that, this news involves your daughter's future."
"What do you want with my future?" Ginny snapped and tried desperately to wrench her arm from his grip.
"Now now, have patience little one," Lucius said, pulling her roughly back and pressing his wand painfully hard into her temple. "You should consider yourself lucky. You see, most of the time, the girls who are carrying bastard Malfoy babies simply disappear." Harry's emerald eyes got large at the thought of his Ginny just 'disappearing.' "But I think you can serve a much greater purpose—"
"I will never do anything for you!" Ginny spat, but Lucius jabbed the wand further into her temple and she fell silent.
"I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice Virginia," Lucius said, pulling the contract out of his robes. "You see; I have an ultimatum to offer you. Either your father signs this contract, or you will disappear."
Arthur wearily unrolled the contract; his eyes grew in horror as he skimmed it.
"What is it dad? Ron spoke up, breaking the tense silence.
"It's-it's a marriage contract." Arthur said. "It says Ginny's to be married to Draco Malfoy, and it prevents divorce," he said shakily. There was a loud outcry of outrage from the Weasley clan.
"Don't sign it Dad!" Ginny yelled, and continued to struggle against Lucius's strong grip. Lucius, in return, jerked Ginny closer to him.
Arthur called for silence and looked at the contract. All these demands were horrid. He couldn't put his daughter through this; on the other hand, he couldn't allow Lucius to kill her.
"Sign it Arthur," Molly said quietly. She didn't want her daughter married to Draco Malfoy anymore than he did, but she certainly didn't want her only daughter killed either.
"No Dad, don't!" Ginny pleaded. She didn't care what that contract said. She'd MUCH rather be dead than trapped in a marriage to Draco Malfoy.
"Sign the contract, Arthur." Molly said evenly.
"No!" Ginny yelled, "No. Someone stun him!" Ginny yelled.
"I've guarded against that Mrs. Malfoy," Lucius said, and he wasn't lying, at that moment, Percy sent a spell at him but it just bounced off and Percy had to duck to avoid getting hit by his own spell.
"Daddy, please don't sign that. Really, it's okay. I couldn't stand being married to Malfoy. I'd rather be dead. Please Daddy, please, please, please don't sign the contract."
"Arthur!" Molly yelled, "I can't believe you're considering letting Lucius Malfoy kill our daughter. She doesn't know what she's saying. SIGN THE CONTRACT."
Arthur's head was spinning. Did he sign the contract or not? Molly was right; Ginny was only a child and didn't know the decisions she was making, but then again, Ginny probably wouldn't survive it if he did sign the contract.
"Daddy no!" Ginny started to sob, "please don't Daddy. I know what I'm saying. Don't."
"Arthur, if you don't sign that contract and allow Lucius to kill Ginny, her blood is on your hands!" Molly yelled.
"No, no. I can't be married to Draco Malfoy. I WON'T. I can't Daddy. I can't. I don't know how I'd survive, please Daddy, don't."
"I'm waiting Arthur." Lucius said. Arthur considered this; he could probably find someone at the Ministry to amend the contract. Molly was right; if he didn't sign this, it would be his fault that Ginny was dead. Arthur shut his eyes and signed his name in the two places he needed to with the quill Lucius had handed him.
"NO!" Ginny screamed, "NO!" Lucius let go of Ginny and she tumbled onto the floor and dissolved into tears.
"I feel I should inform you that that contract also protects against anyone in this room telling an outsider of the contract."
"What?" Arthur said.
"You didn't really think I'd allow something that simple to escape my attention?" Lucius paused to look around. "Oh, I see; you did. That reminds me!" he said and pulled a vial of potion out of his robes. "You must take this. It's a potion to slow down the growth of the child so it won't be born until at least this time next year!"
"What?!" Ginny yelled. "I'm not carrying his horrid little brat around for another year!" after declaring that, she pressed her lips resolutely together, so Lucius had to pinch her nose in order to feed her the potion.
"Well we can't have people matching up the child's birthday with where you were last august can we now?" Lucius said as Ginny gagged and tried to resist swallowing. "I'm afraid that my business is done here, and as promised, I'm leaving with no one harmed." He casually waved his wand at Harry, who was released from his bonds and fled towards Ginny to comfort her. "Oh before I forget Arthur, the wedding will take place on New Years Eve Night. Mrs. Weasley and the future Mrs. Malfoy, you will report to our Manor tomorrow, so my wife and you can work out the details of the wedding. I know how much you women love that."
There was a pop and Lucius was gone.
"Daddy how could you?" Ginny yelled in hysterics. "You've doomed me to a life of hell! I'd rather be dead!"
"You're not thinking straight Ginny!" Arthur said.
"No!!" Ginny yelled as loud as she possibly could. "I HATE YOU!" Ginny yelled and bolted upstairs. Harry ran after her but Ginny was so angry she had accidentally magically shut and locked the door.
"GINNY!" Harry called pounding on the door, "LET ME IN!" but Harry doubted that Ginny so much as heard him; all he heard was very loud sobbing.
Ginny threw herself on the bed. This couldn't be happening. This simply couldn't be happening. She started to scream hysterically. It took her almost two hours, and she destroyed the better part of her room, but eventually, she collapsed into a heap on the bed in exhaustion.
~
Harry was holding Ginny in his arms two days later. He felt like he was holding a dummy; all she did these past few days was cry. Mr. Weasley had spent hours magically repairing everything Ginny had broken in her hysteria on Christmas night. In fact, Ginny was so distraught, that Mrs. Weasley was allowing them to be alone together in Ginny's room. Harry was pretty sure that Mrs. Weasley was quite certain they wouldn't be able to do anything in Ginny's state. Harry couldn't help but think that Ginny was probably safer with him around anyways. He still recalled, with frightening clarity, the scene he had faced when he came upstairs yesterday. It was dinnertime, but Ginny had gone upstairs to take a nap a few hours before. So, Mrs. Weasley had sent Harry upstairs to wake her up.
"Ginny," he had called lightly, softly knocking on the door while entering. Inside, he had found Ginny with a very sharp kitchen knife pointed straight at her wrist. The hand holding the knife was shaking violently. "Ginny no!" Harry had shouted.
"I can't," she cried somewhat wistfully and turned her head towards him. "I've tried everything. Potions, and spells don't work. So, I thought this might work, because it's not magic; you know? But that contract won't let me," she said, her voice strained and desperate. Harry looked at his girlfriend and swallowed; she wasn't well. Her face was hallow; her eyes were wild, and her voice was not her own. He'd never seen her look worse, and he had seen her barely alive in the chamber of secrets.
"Oh Ginny," he said softly and went to her and put a hand on her back. With his touch, she lost the ability to fight the contract and her hand fell to her side.
"Please kill me," she said turning to him and using the same strained voice.
"Ginny—"
"Harry please, I don't want to… I can't… Oh God, please Harry, be a good person and put me out of my misery."
"Shhh," Harry said and hugged her. She broke down and wept in his arms. Since then she had been quiet and withdrawn, only speaking when necessary, and sometimes, not even then. Often, when he was sitting with her, he'd think that she'd forgotten he was there, or that he'd become a burden, but when he went to move away she'd whimper and grab onto him for dear life, and he'd sigh, sit back down, and pull her close.
He looked at her now, sitting in his arms, only a few days away from walking down the aisle.
"Harry," Ginny spoke quietly, surprising Harry by talking volunteering.
"Yeah Gin?" Harry replied.
"When we're at Hogwarts, can we still be together, if the contract still lets us that is?"
"Of course Gin," Harry said. Ginny further surprised Harry by snuggling close to him. "I wish you could come to the wedding," she whispered and entertained her fingers with his. "I'd be nice to know you're there, but I suppose it's even nicer to know your safe at home."
"I wish I could come too Gin," Harry said. The couple lapsed into a comforting silence, just enjoying being in one another's company. Ginny shocked Harry by suddenly turning towards him and giving him a very passionate kiss on the lips. After he recovered from his surprise, Harry returned the kiss full force. It wasn't like they'd never kissed before, but when Ginny's lips left his, and began to trail deliciously down his neck, he knew something was up and a small—very annoying—voice in his head told him to stop before anything else happened. He told the voice to shut-up and started to nibble on her ear, but the voice persisted, yelling at him to stop this, or at least find out what was going on. Hoping beyond anything that this would shut the voice up, Harry mumbled, "what's goin' on Gin?"
"Just once," she mumbled, and Harry could clearly hear tears in her voice.
At the demands on that blasted little voice Harry prompted her to go on.
"Hmmm?" he said distractedly, for Ginny's hands were trying to work his jumper off.
"Just once, I don't want it to be rape. I want to want it at least once. Please Harry," she pleaded as she pulled his shirt over his head, "Please give me that experience. Just one time when it's completely my decision." Harry nodded and started working on the buttons of Ginny's shirt. That damned voice, however, wouldn't be silent. 'She wants this,' he told it, 'she said so herself.' He gently guided Ginny onto her back; he was delirious with pleasure. He'd never been this far with Ginny, or any girl for that matter, and it was all happening so fast. The voice was telling him to stop, that this was wrong. 'It's not wrong,' he justified as he began to work at her clothing too, 'she wants it to be her decision. You can give her this. She wants one time where it's special, and completely her choice,' but the voice persisted that it wasn't really Ginny's choice, and if she wasn't going to be forced into marrying Malfoy, she would most definitely NOT be under him right now with her fingers working furiously at his belt buckle. No matter how many times Harry tried to silence his blasted conscience it wouldn't be quieted. Very reluctantly, he sat up and turned his head away from Ginny so he couldn't see her beautiful body and enticing red hair, his body screaming bloody murder at him the entire time.
"What's wrong?" she said, sitting up and placing her lips on his neck.
"Gin I can't," Harry said, trying desperately to ignore the sensations her lips were prompting.
"Why not?" Ginny asked indignantly.
"Believe me," Harry swallowed, "I want to. But, I'd be taking advantage of you."
"But I want this!" Ginny cried.
"But you wouldn't if you weren't going to be married soon." Ginny opened her mouth as if to say something but then she broke down into tears.
"Y-you're r-r-right," she hiccupped. "Just to-tomorrow night. I know wh-what he's g-going to do-do to me. I can't stand it. I think I'll go m-mad." She was shaking violently. So Harry, still not wearing a shirt, gently pulled her body close to his. He swallowed; the sensation of Ginny's bare skin on his was about as much as he could take.
"No you won't Gin. Even if he does touch you, you're stronger than that. You've gotten though it before."
"No I'm not!" Ginny protested, "I can't Harry. I can't put up with it. I only could before because I knew it would lead to me getting out!"
"You'll be fine." Harry cooed, running his hands through his hair, "you'll be fine," he repeated gently.
~
The residents of the Malfoy Manor were in quite a state themselves.
"And her wardrobe!" Narcissa was exclaiming to her husband, "It's just horrific. Virginia still dresses in muggle clothing, horrid muggle clothing at that, and Molly's clothing…" she shook her head and trailed off. There simply weren't words to describe the revolting state of the Weasley woman's clothing.
"I know, dear, I'm sorry. You're being awfully good putting up with them." Lucius said taking his wife's hand.
"And I swear, the little one is trying to drive me crazy with the ideas she's proposing. She changed her mind about the gardens THREE TIMES," she paused, "So far!"
Lucius chuckled. "Yes, she's quite the spitfire. I think I'll have to reinforce the contract so she won't fight it."
Narcissa nodded in agreement and took a dainty sip of her wine, wishing, not for the first time that week, that it was socially acceptable for women to have hard liquor.
"For the life of me, I can't imagine how Draco managed her for a whole month. Come to think of it, I don't know how he'll manage her for the rest of his life."
"She'll break," Lucius said simply. Narcissa Malfoy only hoped her husband was right.
Lucius leaned back against the cushion of his chair and considered what he had just said. How long would it take the girl to break? It had taken Narcissa nearly a year, but she hadn't been nearly as opposed to the marriage as Ginny was. Narcissa was just upset that he was a decade her senior. Lucius still didn't understand why. Back then women found him devastatingly sexy; they still did in fact. Lucius had his sites set on Naricissa from the time she was fourteen, and he had succeeded in marrying her a week after her graduation. At first, she had been snappish and almost impossible at home. It'd been months before she really let him have her. Of course, that's not to say he didn't before then. But things got better. Narcissa had been raised in the best of families, and she would consider causing any sort of a scene in public a far worse fate than being married to him. Eventually though, he had worn her down with a combination of gifts, power, and kindness. Now she was most agreeable wife. He rarely raised his voice to her and he had never raised a hand to her. A few good beatings would have been warranted in their first year of marriage, but at that point, he was still working on winning her over. Now that he had, it wasn't very often at all that she caused him any sort of trouble. He sighed and swished the brandy he was drinking around in the glass. Draco wasn't going to have it nearly as easy; it would take him quite some time to get Ginny under his thumb. Part of him wanted to warn him and guide him along, but Draco was turning into a fine lad, and Lucius was confident in his son's ability to handle the issue. If he were to need some guiding, Lucius would be more than ready to give it to him. He only wished the Dark Lord hadn't forbade Draco to become a Death Eater.
Draco, meanwhile, was sitting in his chambers, doing a haphazard job on his potions work once more. There was only one thing on his mind; Ginny Weasley now belonged to him. She was his by law and there was nothing she could do to deny it. It wouldn't be long until she was back to being complacent and loyal. He was actually looking forward to spoiling her again.
A/N: If you'd like to be added to the e-mail update list, leave your e-mail address in your review. Also, I'm going to continue to update even after the release of The Order of the Phoenix. That doesn't mean I won't update until then. Some people are saying they won't keep updating after book five, but I still will.
