"I'm getting married," she told the smiling reflection staring back at her, for such a beautiful girl surely couldn't know that in just a thirty minutes' time she would be walking down the aisle to be married to a man she loathed. She knew the entireties of the guests waiting in the Malfoy's ballroom downstairs were saying she was embarking a perfect Marriage through the perfect wedding. If only they knew the whole story.
She had fallen asleep in Harry's arms a few nights back, and a strange sort of calmness had set over her since she had woken up. The wedding downstairs would have been perfect, if only it was Harry waiting for her at the alter instead of Draco. The Malfoys had told her that she could have whatever she liked at her wedding, so long as it was tactful. So, Ginny had spent as much of the Malfoys' budget as possible, pushing the limits of the so-called 'tact.' Lucius had found it highly amusing, and he would chuckle when he would stop by to see how things were going. Mrs. Malfoy didn't find her extravagant spending nearly as entertaining and had spent the week taking vials of headache potion, whilst Mrs. Weasley tried to restrain Ginny from spending. After a while, Ginny suspected that she too had started to enjoy spending the Malfoys' money. She had had fun annoying Mrs. Malfoy by changing her plans about which gardens she wished for the reception to be in. Finally, she had selected the gardens furthest from the house, just to be a bother, and Mrs. Malfoy had to hire numerous people to place warming charms around the perimeter.
She couldn't believe this was happening to her, and she supposed that's why she was so calm and collected. The last two days had been spent squashing any thought of the wedding, and even now, minutes away from walking down the aisle, she couldn't quite believe that she was really going to marry Draco Malfoy.
It wasn't until the large oak doors that led to the Malfoy Ballroom were looming ominously in front of her, that it became real again. Once those doors opened, that was it. There was no possible way of getting out of it. She would walk down the aisle and she would be wed to Draco Malfoy.
"Daddy I can't," she whispered, "please don't make me." She wanted to cry, wished she could cry now. If only she could scream and wail in front of all her guest to tell them how much she didn't want to be there. She wished they knew how much she hated the groom.
"I don't want you to sweety." Mr. Weasley said, "I wish I could somehow free you from that contract. If I could help you run away I would, but I think you'll find that your feet won't take you where you want to go."
Ginny let out a would-be-tearful sigh and looked at the door.
"The ceremony will be over soon," Hermione who was arm and arm with Ron said quietly behind her.
"It's not the ceremony," she whined, turning her veil adorned head towards Hermione, "It's that after the ceremony I have to spend the rest of my life with Draco Malfoy."
"I'm sorry Ginny," Hermione said. Ginny turned her head back towards the door because she was fearful she would star glaring at Hermione. Deep down she knew the girl meant well, but that was hard to see when she was standing so casually with Ron. Hermione was going to get to spend the rest of her days with the man she loved, not being Draco Malfoy's little wifey-poo. Seeing Ron and Hermione together caused a pit in her stomach. It made her think of Harry; she so wished Narcissa had let her wear her new necklace. She wondered what he was doing now. She pictured him sitting in an armchair, alone in the Burrow, with Quidditch Through the Ages opened on his lap, but with a frown adorning his face; he was thinking of Ginny and wishing there was something he could do to stop the wedding. She wished he could do something, too.
"You should go sit down now Ron," Arthur said. Ron gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek, and gave Ginny a gentle hug before parting ways and sitting down. Next, one of the ushers came and led Mrs. Weasley away to be seated. Ginny winced; she knew it was only a matter of minutes before those doors would open allowing her and her father through. Mr. Weasley pulled his arm around her and gave her a hug.
"I'm sorry sweety," he whispered, "I wish there was something I could do to help you." Ginny didn't say anything because the only think she was thinking she was quite certain her father didn't want to hear, and that was, 'I'd rather be dead then here Daddy. If I was dead I couldn't feel so depressed about facing a life with Draco Malfoy for company.'
"Maybe Malfoy will die of some horrible accident," Hermione joked.
"I hope it will be painful," Ginny responded quietly.
"And gory," Hermione added.
"And soon." Ginny said with finality. Hermione laughed even though she guessed Ginny wasn't joking.
All too soon, the doors opened and the contract started forcing Ginny to move. She felt her feet moving against her will. She kept her eyes locked down, staring into her bouquet. She couldn't look at Draco Malfoy standing there. 'It's a dream, she told herself. You'll wake up and be back at home in the Burrow before starting Hogwarts this year.' She didn't so much as dare to glance at Draco Malfoy. 'It's actually Harry,' she thought. 'Just pretend it's Harry,' but soon she saw her feet walk up to the front of the aisle and her head was rising on its own accord to see, not Harry Potter, but Draco Malfoy.
Draco watched Ginny walking up the aisle; the very first thought that struck him was how desirable she looked in her wedding dress. Although he wished his father had come to a less permanent arrangement, he truly believed that she was back with him where she belonged. He would show her what she got when she messed with him. Potter wouldn't be getting his hands on his baby, or his wife. She really did belong to him now. But all the same, Draco felt ill; he knew what he was embarking on. She would be impossible to deal with. He still wasn't sure what his father was thinking, marrying a Weasley into the family, but he didn't care. Draco suppressed a sigh as Ginny finally looked up to see him, 'that's right,' he thought viciously, 'I'm me and NOT POTTER. Merry Belated Christmas.'
Arthur turned towards her; she could see tears shining in his eyes. Slowly, he kissed her lightly on the cheek and whispered, "I love you," in her ear before reassuringly squeezing her hand and placing it in Draco Malfoy's. Draco's eyes were cold and a horrid shade of gray; he was smiling, but it was a cruel, superior smile that didn't reach his eyes. How could he smile? She imagined he was happy to see her so miserable. He was getting exactly what he wanted, Ginny locked up, being his little slave. Oh how she wished she could throw her beautiful bouquet in his face and storm off down the aisle; however, she allowed him to take her hand and lead her up to the alter. Yuck, his hand was freezing cold. Her husband's hands were supposed to be warm and inviting, and on a day like today, they would be clammy just from nerves. But no, everything about Draco Malfoy was cold and aloof. Regardless of all that, he was the man she would spend the rest of her life with.
Ginny didn't listen to the service; she found that the contract was forcing her to listen when she needed to repeat Fudge, but other than that, she made a point not to listen. It all seemed so surreal. She wasn't here! She couldn't be here! Oh, she felt nauseous. All too soon Fudge spoke the words she had been dreading,
"Do you, Virginia Elizabeth Weasley, take Draco Thomas Malfoy III to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love, cherish and obey, until death do you part?" She didn't want to say the words; she fought as hard as she could against the contract, delaying her response.
Lucius became extremely worried in the moment of silence that followed. Was she fighting the contract already? What if she overcame it? She had to say something! It was only a few seconds, less than three actually, but it felt like an eternity before she said it.
"I do," Ginny said, and Lucius breathed a sigh of relief.
"And do you Draco Thomas Malfoy III, take Virginia Elizabeth Weasley to be your wife, to have and to hold until death do you part?" Draco couldn't miss Ginny's sideways pleading look.
"I do," he said, avoiding Ginny's eyes.
"Then I now pronounce you man and wife." Fudge said. There was a loud spout of cheering, and Draco took her hand to run down the aisle with her. Ginny found herself laughing with apparent glee.
~
Ginny's feet were killing her at the reception; she must have danced with every man available
"Ron," she said pleadingly to her brother, with whom she was currently dancing. "Please do something, anything."
"I can't Gin. The three of us are working non-stop to try and find a way out but that contract is impermeable." Ginny sighed and continued dancing with Ron. Ugh, it was back to that then, the trio and little helpless Ginny. She was hopelessly torn, too. She desperately wanted to get behind closed doors, where she could let loose and shed the tears that had been the verge of spilling all day. On the other hand, she knew who was going to be with her behind those closed doors. The whole day she had commanded herself not to think about this because she feared she would go insane, but now the day was winding down and she knew she was going to have to face him.
"May I cut in?" she heard his voice saying. Ron couldn't scowl, because apparently the contract was affecting him too, but Ginny had the feeling he would be if he had the chance. However, he handed her off to Malfoy. Draco gulped as his hands encircled her waist. He supposed it would take awhile before the thrill of being able to demand that he had her undivided attention would wear off. All too soon for Ginny, they were dancing their last dance together and Draco was leading her off to the horseless carriage, to be taken back to the Mansion. The instant the door was shut Ginny burst into tears and ripped the veil from her head. She couldn't remember a time she had sobbed so hard.
Draco watched, appalled at her reaction once she wasn't being affected by the contract. She tried desperately to slash at her wrist with one of the little combs that had been holding her veil on, and when that didn't work, she tried to open the door of the carriage when they were going over a bridge. The door wouldn't budge and Ginny collapsed into another crying jag. Draco sighed wearily; it was going to be rather difficult to tame her. Without ceremony, he went to hand her his handkerchief.
Ginny yanked her arm away, "Do-don't y-you com-come n-n-n-near me-me D-Dra-Dra-co," she hiccupped out. So, Draco scornfully threw the handkerchief right at her. Ginny grabbed it and rubbed at her eyes, smudging her perfect make-up. She was miserable, and Draco could tell.
"Stop crying." Draco said annoyed, "you're giving me a headache." Ginny didn't say anything; she just rubbed furiously at her eyes and cried harder. Draco sighed and leaned back against the carriage.
Once they reached the manor Ginny's sobs had been reduced to a steady flow of tears and hiccups. She rushed away from him and into the house as soon as the carriage pulled up.
"Take me to my chamber," she told the first house elf she came across. Draco sighed and followed slowly behind; he couldn't help but think that it was now their chamber.
Ginny slammed the door once she reached her rooms and immediately put a locking charm on it. It was nothing Draco couldn't break with a simple Alohomora, but it felt good to be a step ahead of him all the same. Ginny ran desperately to the bureau so she could change before Draco came up, only to find that all the modest nightgowns were gone, replaced with smaller silkier ones. Her full-blown sobs started again and she sank to her knees on the floor, putting her face in her hands.
~
Draco Malfoy reached his new chambers and prepared to meet Ginny again. He had a feeling that tonight wasn't going to go well. Days ago, he had decided not to make use of his marital rights on his wedding night. As much as he wanted to, he knew that everyone had his or her limits, and he was pretty sure that Ginny had just about reached hers. Forcing himself on her would most certainly put her over. He may want to teach her a lesson, but more than that, he didn't want a wife going nutters. He reached for the knob, only to find that it wouldn't turn. Letting out another sigh, he said the unlocking charm and walked in to find Ginny, still in her wedding dress on the floor sobbing and a few curls that had escaped her elaborate hairstyle when she had yanked her veil off were now framing her blotchy face. She obviously hadn't heard him enter, or else she would have grabbed for her wand. He left her there and got into the pajamas the house elves had laid out for him.
"Ginny!" he finally yelled when she had still failed to notice him.
"Go away, go away, go away!" she sobbed.
"Ginny," Draco said standing above her.
"P-p-p-pl-please d-d-d-don't t-touch m-m-m-me." Ginny stuttered with her face still buried in her hands. Draco knelt down in front of her and grabbed her wrist to yank her hands away from her face.
"N-n-no. Y-you c-can-can't. You-you mus-musn't," she sobbed hysterically, squeezing her eyes shut and vigorously shaking her head.
"Ginny," Draco said, "I'm not going to do anything to you tonight. Stop crying so much. You're going to keep the entire household awake."
"I-I w-want s-s-sep-separate cham-chambers." Ginny demanded through her tears.
"No," Draco said assertively, "You're to stay here with me. I will not have my wife sleeping in a different room."
"Then I w-w-want, m-my ol-ol-old cot-cot-ten n-n-night g-g-gow-gowns b-b-back."
"What?"
"M-m-my n-n-n-night g-g-gow-gowns have b-been re-re-replaced," she said, pointing to a draw where Draco found the offending nightgowns. Draco smiled at his father's thinking, but he easily transfigured the silky thing into something a little more modest for Ginny and threw it to her, anything to make the excessive wailing stop.
"Here," he said, "remember, you can do magic here even though you're not of age."
Ginny nodded and trudged to the bathroom to strip out of her wedding dress. It felt good to be rid of its unnecessary bulkiness and grandeur. She left it in a heap on the floor, assuming the house elves would deal with it. After washing her face to scrub off her make-up, and taking down the spells that held her hair up, she did feel a bit better. She found her nightgown was a bit tight around the middle and made a mental note to talk to someone about taking it out a bit. She slipped her wand into a pocket and emerged from the bathroom to find Draco Malfoy already in bed and the torches dimmed. She froze in the doorframe; she couldn't do it. She simply couldn't sleep in the same bed as him. She stood there frozen in the doorway, just staring at the bed.
"Are you just going to stand there?" Malfoy asked annoyed, after ten minutes.
"I'm NOT sleeping in that bed with you." Ginny said, still frozen like a dear in the headlights.
"Get into bed Ginny. We're married. At some point we're going to have children. We're sleeping in the same bed."
"I can't!" Ginny said shaking her head. "I won't!" Draco sighed once again and considered their situation. He wondered if simply sleeping in the same bed as him would put Ginny over her limit. 'It shouldn't,' he thought sadistically. 'She never seemed to mind in August.'
"You're sleeping here Mrs. Malfoy," Draco commanded. "Now get into bed!"
"No!" Ginny said in panic shaking her head vigorously.
Highly irritated, and with the incredibly annoying thought that Pansy would have done whatever he told her to, Draco got out of bed and grabbed Ginny's upper arm to drag her to bed.
"NO!" Ginny yelled, "don't touch me!" Ginny struggled against him.
"Come on!" Draco said, wishing he had his wand with him.
Ginny vigorously shook her head, but then she had an idea when she spotted Draco's wand on the bedside table. By the time Draco knew what was happening, Ginny drew her own wand and stupefied him.
Draco fell to the floor with a thud and Ginny smiled a bit. She checked to make sure there wasn't any blood and when she saw there wasn't, she got into bed all by herself. At least the room wasn't pink.
A/N: If you'd like to be added to the e-mail update list, just say so in your review and leave your e-mail address. I will post again in under two weeks, but then I'm going to take a break and wait until July to post chapter thirteen.
