Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters contained within
this story, J. K. Rowling does, and she kicks ass, so I wouldn't steal her
stuff from her.
Chapter 6: One Folly Too Far
"Draco," a thin dark voice echoed through the Slytherin common room.
Draco whipped around to face the entrance. "Father," he choked. "What are you doing here? Mother said that you had gone away on Ministry business."
Lucious Malfoy sneered at his son and walked slowly and purposefully into the common room. Draco tensed as his father's cold grey eyes locked on his own. "I came home as soon as I heard the horrible rumor about you and that mudblood girl."
Draco stood up and looked his father directly in the eye. "It's not a rumor, Father. Hermione and I are going to be married." Lucious stepped back as his face twisted into an expression of horror. "We're in love, and it doesn't matter to me that she isn't a pure blood, she's a better witch than any I've ever seen from a pure blood family."
"How could you, Draco?" Lucious boomed. "I thought you had standards, I thought that you were a Malfoy!" He turned his back to Draco and inhaled deeply. "I'm disappointed and ashamed that I heard from Weasley that you were marrying a mudblood. What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that I'm in love, Father," Draco said softly. "If that means I'm a bad Malfoy, then so be it."
Lucious turned around, fire flashed in his eyes and he got within an inch of his son's face. "You aren't a bad Malfoy, Draco," he said through clenched teeth. "You aren't a Malfoy."
Draco's eyes widened and his mouth hung slightly open. "What?" he managed to squeak out.
"If you continue with this marriage, you will no longer be a Malfoy," Lucious threatened, backing off of Draco. "You will no longer receive your inheritance and I can guarantee you will never hold a decent position anywhere in the wizarding world, and neither will your mudblood wife."
Draco fell back onto the couch he was seated on before his father arrived. "Not a Malfoy? Disinherited?" he thought. He had been groomed all of his life to take over the Malfoy family, to be provided for, he never considered being thrown out of it all. He knew his father would be angry when he found out about the marriage, but he never expected this.
Lucious smiled inwardly. "He can't live without being a Malfoy," he thought. "He'll give that girl up as soon as his security is threatened." Lucious began walking towards the common room door. "I guess you'll be giving it up for her," he said icily.
"Wait!" Draco called out. Lucious sneered and turned around, waiting for his son to concede to his wishes. "Yes, Draco?"
"Let me walk you to the door, Lucious. I would feel inconsiderate not walking a guest out, and what kind of Slytherin would that make me?" Draco said, coolly and resolutely. He got up and walked to Lucious, whose face was completely blank.
"I think I can show myself out," Lucious hissed and with a flourish of his cloak he stormed out of the common room.
Draco exhaled. "I just ruined the rest of my professional life," he said to the empty room. "And Hermione's." He ran his had through his blonde hair and searched his brain for some solution to his new problem.
The clock in the common room chimed, signaling him to leave for dinner where he could talk to Hermione. He left the common room and walked slowly and dazed down to the Great Hall. When he walked in he was immediately met by Hermione. "Hello Draco," she said kissing him. "How was your afternoon?"
He took her hand and looked her in the eyes. "We need to talk, now." Draco led her out into the hall and over to the stairs and sat her down. "I saw Lucious today."
"Oh really?" Hermione said brightly. She stopped and considered what he said more closely. "Lucious?" she inquired. "What happened Draco?"
He sat down next to Hermione and took her hands again. "He disowned me. He didn't think that I should marry you and he told me that if I did that I would no longer be a Malfoy. I made my decision; I chose to be with you." Hermione gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "But he threatened that neither of us would ever have respectable jobs within the wizarding world."
Hermione took Draco and kissed him. "I don't care what your father threatened. He doesn't have that much power and as long as we have each other things are going to be fine."
Draco laughed. "You either vastly underestimate my father or you overestimate us," he said. "But thank you for not loving me just because I'm a Malfoy."
It was Hermione's turn to laugh. "Now Draco, that would be your least attractive feature. You will never have to worry about me loving you for your name." She hugged him and gave him a soft kiss. "We'll talk about this more later, I'm hungry." Hermione stood up and extended her hand to Draco.
As he pulled himself up he almost went flying when someone ran into his back. "Sorry!" Ron said, steadying himself. "I've got to get to the Great Hall, sorry!" he said running off.
"What was that?" Draco asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes and took his had. "I don't know, but I think we should go and make sure he doesn't do something too stupid."
They walked back into the Great Hall just in time to see Ron dropping himself into a seat next to Ginny. "So, my darling Ginny, is there something that you would like to tell me?" Ron said placing his arm around her and looking at Neville who sat caddy corner to her.
"Um, what are you talking about Ron?" she asked removing his arm from her and raising her eyebrows at him.
Ron smirked at her. "Oh you know," he said. "Your late night meetings with your mystery man." Ginny tensed up as half of the Gryffindor table looked at her. She forced a smile and shot a look at Ron. "I know who it is and I must say that I'm fairly disappointed in you, Ginny."
"Ron, how dare you!" Ginny seethed at him, her face glowing red. "You don't have a clue what you're starting by bringing this up here. If you want to discuss this in private, I will be more than happy to leave and sort this out with just you."
"Oh no," Ron said. "I need to talk to you and Neville at the same time. You know, give you both a piece of my mind about this whole secret relationship thing you think you have going on."
Snape heard Ginny's angry voice and looked over to the table, straining his ears to hear the argument taking place.
Neville stared wide-eyed at Ron. "Ron, I never.we never.not Ginny and I! I don't even know what you're talking about!" Now almost all of Gryffindor and a few Hufflepuffs behind them were anxiously listening to the conversation, Hermione staring in horror at Ron, but completely unable to quiet him.
"Ron, there is nothing going on between Neville and I!" Ginny squeaked out in disbelief. "No offense Neville, but ew! Ron you've gone completely mad and I do not appreciate these accusations in front of the entire school." She stood up to go back to the common room but Ron grabbed her arm.
"I narrowed it down; the only person it could have been is Neville! Just tell the truth Ginny!" Ron yelled. The entire hall went quiet and everyone looked at Ginny, standing, red-faced and petrified.
Professor McGonagall stood up. "Mr. and Miss Weasley," she said. "Please meet me in my office, immediately!" She swept out of the Great Hall and Ginny looked helplessly at Snape as she and Ron went down to McGonagall's office.
"Good job Ron," Ginny said. "Now I'm going to be hounded for the rest of the year. That is if I'm not expelled for sneaking out first."
Ron looked at her. "Then you should have just fessed up about Neville," he said snidely.
"For goodness sake!" Ginny yelled. "I'm not with Neville and I never have been! That's not why I've been going out. Can't you just accept the fact that you were wrong and have made a colossal arse of yourself?"
"Really?" Ron asked. "You're not with Neville?" Ginny shook her head. Ron dropped his head and his ears turned bright red as they reached McGonagall's door. "I'm sorry Gin, I really am. I'll try to fix this with McGonagall."
"You had better start explaining your scene in there, you two," she said from inside. Ron and Ginny entered the office silently and approached the desk where McGonagall sat, stern look on her face. "What happened was uncalled for and very rude to the entire student body. I would like for one of you two to begin explaining."
Ron coughed and spoke up. "It was me, Professor. I started yelling at Ginny for something that I thought she was keeping from me, and it turns out that she wasn't. I'm very sorry for disturbing the Hall."
"Thank you Ron for taking responsibility for your actions," she said taking out her quill and writing something down. "You will serve detention for a week with Professor Snape." Ron groaned inwardly and his eyes rolled. "You may leave now." Ron and Ginny both turned to leave. "Miss Weasley, please stay," McGonagall called out.
Ginny closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "Yes, Professor?" she said turning around slowly to face the Gryffindor head.
"Your brother, in his loud accusations, mentioned something about you sneaking out after curfew to meet someone." She looked over her glasses at Ginny. Ginny's heart pounded in her chest and she felt as though all of the oxygen in the air had evaporated making breathing very difficult. "Is this true Miss Weasley? And if it is, who were you going out to see?" Ginny didn't answer, her voice failing her. "Please cooperate, Miss Weasley. These are serious accusations, you need to answer to them, and now is preferable. If you talk to me, you can avoid an inquiry by the Headmaster and the other professors. Ginny, I don't think you want it to come to that."
"Professor," Ginny said slowly. "I can't lie to you, I have been sneaking out." McGonagall sighed, looking disappointed. "But I can't tell you who I've been with. They don't need to be involved."
"Whoever it is is already involved Ginny," McGonagall said sadly. "And you're going to have to face the faculty about it tomorrow."
Chapter 6: One Folly Too Far
"Draco," a thin dark voice echoed through the Slytherin common room.
Draco whipped around to face the entrance. "Father," he choked. "What are you doing here? Mother said that you had gone away on Ministry business."
Lucious Malfoy sneered at his son and walked slowly and purposefully into the common room. Draco tensed as his father's cold grey eyes locked on his own. "I came home as soon as I heard the horrible rumor about you and that mudblood girl."
Draco stood up and looked his father directly in the eye. "It's not a rumor, Father. Hermione and I are going to be married." Lucious stepped back as his face twisted into an expression of horror. "We're in love, and it doesn't matter to me that she isn't a pure blood, she's a better witch than any I've ever seen from a pure blood family."
"How could you, Draco?" Lucious boomed. "I thought you had standards, I thought that you were a Malfoy!" He turned his back to Draco and inhaled deeply. "I'm disappointed and ashamed that I heard from Weasley that you were marrying a mudblood. What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking that I'm in love, Father," Draco said softly. "If that means I'm a bad Malfoy, then so be it."
Lucious turned around, fire flashed in his eyes and he got within an inch of his son's face. "You aren't a bad Malfoy, Draco," he said through clenched teeth. "You aren't a Malfoy."
Draco's eyes widened and his mouth hung slightly open. "What?" he managed to squeak out.
"If you continue with this marriage, you will no longer be a Malfoy," Lucious threatened, backing off of Draco. "You will no longer receive your inheritance and I can guarantee you will never hold a decent position anywhere in the wizarding world, and neither will your mudblood wife."
Draco fell back onto the couch he was seated on before his father arrived. "Not a Malfoy? Disinherited?" he thought. He had been groomed all of his life to take over the Malfoy family, to be provided for, he never considered being thrown out of it all. He knew his father would be angry when he found out about the marriage, but he never expected this.
Lucious smiled inwardly. "He can't live without being a Malfoy," he thought. "He'll give that girl up as soon as his security is threatened." Lucious began walking towards the common room door. "I guess you'll be giving it up for her," he said icily.
"Wait!" Draco called out. Lucious sneered and turned around, waiting for his son to concede to his wishes. "Yes, Draco?"
"Let me walk you to the door, Lucious. I would feel inconsiderate not walking a guest out, and what kind of Slytherin would that make me?" Draco said, coolly and resolutely. He got up and walked to Lucious, whose face was completely blank.
"I think I can show myself out," Lucious hissed and with a flourish of his cloak he stormed out of the common room.
Draco exhaled. "I just ruined the rest of my professional life," he said to the empty room. "And Hermione's." He ran his had through his blonde hair and searched his brain for some solution to his new problem.
The clock in the common room chimed, signaling him to leave for dinner where he could talk to Hermione. He left the common room and walked slowly and dazed down to the Great Hall. When he walked in he was immediately met by Hermione. "Hello Draco," she said kissing him. "How was your afternoon?"
He took her hand and looked her in the eyes. "We need to talk, now." Draco led her out into the hall and over to the stairs and sat her down. "I saw Lucious today."
"Oh really?" Hermione said brightly. She stopped and considered what he said more closely. "Lucious?" she inquired. "What happened Draco?"
He sat down next to Hermione and took her hands again. "He disowned me. He didn't think that I should marry you and he told me that if I did that I would no longer be a Malfoy. I made my decision; I chose to be with you." Hermione gasped and put her hand over her mouth. "But he threatened that neither of us would ever have respectable jobs within the wizarding world."
Hermione took Draco and kissed him. "I don't care what your father threatened. He doesn't have that much power and as long as we have each other things are going to be fine."
Draco laughed. "You either vastly underestimate my father or you overestimate us," he said. "But thank you for not loving me just because I'm a Malfoy."
It was Hermione's turn to laugh. "Now Draco, that would be your least attractive feature. You will never have to worry about me loving you for your name." She hugged him and gave him a soft kiss. "We'll talk about this more later, I'm hungry." Hermione stood up and extended her hand to Draco.
As he pulled himself up he almost went flying when someone ran into his back. "Sorry!" Ron said, steadying himself. "I've got to get to the Great Hall, sorry!" he said running off.
"What was that?" Draco asked.
Hermione rolled her eyes and took his had. "I don't know, but I think we should go and make sure he doesn't do something too stupid."
They walked back into the Great Hall just in time to see Ron dropping himself into a seat next to Ginny. "So, my darling Ginny, is there something that you would like to tell me?" Ron said placing his arm around her and looking at Neville who sat caddy corner to her.
"Um, what are you talking about Ron?" she asked removing his arm from her and raising her eyebrows at him.
Ron smirked at her. "Oh you know," he said. "Your late night meetings with your mystery man." Ginny tensed up as half of the Gryffindor table looked at her. She forced a smile and shot a look at Ron. "I know who it is and I must say that I'm fairly disappointed in you, Ginny."
"Ron, how dare you!" Ginny seethed at him, her face glowing red. "You don't have a clue what you're starting by bringing this up here. If you want to discuss this in private, I will be more than happy to leave and sort this out with just you."
"Oh no," Ron said. "I need to talk to you and Neville at the same time. You know, give you both a piece of my mind about this whole secret relationship thing you think you have going on."
Snape heard Ginny's angry voice and looked over to the table, straining his ears to hear the argument taking place.
Neville stared wide-eyed at Ron. "Ron, I never.we never.not Ginny and I! I don't even know what you're talking about!" Now almost all of Gryffindor and a few Hufflepuffs behind them were anxiously listening to the conversation, Hermione staring in horror at Ron, but completely unable to quiet him.
"Ron, there is nothing going on between Neville and I!" Ginny squeaked out in disbelief. "No offense Neville, but ew! Ron you've gone completely mad and I do not appreciate these accusations in front of the entire school." She stood up to go back to the common room but Ron grabbed her arm.
"I narrowed it down; the only person it could have been is Neville! Just tell the truth Ginny!" Ron yelled. The entire hall went quiet and everyone looked at Ginny, standing, red-faced and petrified.
Professor McGonagall stood up. "Mr. and Miss Weasley," she said. "Please meet me in my office, immediately!" She swept out of the Great Hall and Ginny looked helplessly at Snape as she and Ron went down to McGonagall's office.
"Good job Ron," Ginny said. "Now I'm going to be hounded for the rest of the year. That is if I'm not expelled for sneaking out first."
Ron looked at her. "Then you should have just fessed up about Neville," he said snidely.
"For goodness sake!" Ginny yelled. "I'm not with Neville and I never have been! That's not why I've been going out. Can't you just accept the fact that you were wrong and have made a colossal arse of yourself?"
"Really?" Ron asked. "You're not with Neville?" Ginny shook her head. Ron dropped his head and his ears turned bright red as they reached McGonagall's door. "I'm sorry Gin, I really am. I'll try to fix this with McGonagall."
"You had better start explaining your scene in there, you two," she said from inside. Ron and Ginny entered the office silently and approached the desk where McGonagall sat, stern look on her face. "What happened was uncalled for and very rude to the entire student body. I would like for one of you two to begin explaining."
Ron coughed and spoke up. "It was me, Professor. I started yelling at Ginny for something that I thought she was keeping from me, and it turns out that she wasn't. I'm very sorry for disturbing the Hall."
"Thank you Ron for taking responsibility for your actions," she said taking out her quill and writing something down. "You will serve detention for a week with Professor Snape." Ron groaned inwardly and his eyes rolled. "You may leave now." Ron and Ginny both turned to leave. "Miss Weasley, please stay," McGonagall called out.
Ginny closed her eyes and breathed in deeply. "Yes, Professor?" she said turning around slowly to face the Gryffindor head.
"Your brother, in his loud accusations, mentioned something about you sneaking out after curfew to meet someone." She looked over her glasses at Ginny. Ginny's heart pounded in her chest and she felt as though all of the oxygen in the air had evaporated making breathing very difficult. "Is this true Miss Weasley? And if it is, who were you going out to see?" Ginny didn't answer, her voice failing her. "Please cooperate, Miss Weasley. These are serious accusations, you need to answer to them, and now is preferable. If you talk to me, you can avoid an inquiry by the Headmaster and the other professors. Ginny, I don't think you want it to come to that."
"Professor," Ginny said slowly. "I can't lie to you, I have been sneaking out." McGonagall sighed, looking disappointed. "But I can't tell you who I've been with. They don't need to be involved."
"Whoever it is is already involved Ginny," McGonagall said sadly. "And you're going to have to face the faculty about it tomorrow."