A/N: Whoa... I honestly didn't expect that many reviews... Thought I'd get a bunch of
flames, you know 'They belong together!' 'You smell like hampster!'
Here is where I would include the customary disclaimer if I didn't have faith that all
you people know I'm not JK Rowling.
I served Ginny the papers within twenty-four hours of our wedding. My father had
allowed me to move back into the Manor without a second glance, though I could see he was
saddened by my failed attempt at love because he couldn't shield me from it. When my mother
saw me, she threw her arms around me, but never said a word about Ginny.
Two weeks later, a visitor came to call.
My mother was attempting to cook for the first time and years, and I was buzzing
around the counter, discreetly fixing all of her mistakes, when Ron walked in. The House
Elves had shown him in, but he had abandoned them in the parlor and came straight for us.
I stopped dead in my track with a container of allspice in my hands when he walked in.
"Can we talk?" he asked quietly. I nodded, placing the spice on the counter. My
mother leaned over the counter and watched us walk out to the backyard. When we were
safely outside, I waved Ron to a seat and took one opposite of his.
"What happened?" he asked, and I could hear his temper bursting through.
"Have you talked to Ginny yet?" I asked quietly. Ron exploded.
"Of course I have! She's been sobbing and wailing about the divorce papers since
the day after your marriage! Now I want to know what you did to her!"
"Then she didn't tell you," I murmured.
"Tell me what?" Ron snapped.
"She's been having an affair with Potter for years," I said, as nonchalantly as I
could manage, though my hand clenched on the glass table that separated us.
"What?" Ron roared, leaping to his feet. "When did you find this out?"
"Sit, Ron. Just sit," I muttered.
"How come you're so cool about this?" Ron accused, plunking back down. It was my
turn to explode.
"You think this is so fucking easy for me to deal with! Oh she's your sister, but
she was my wife. The love of my life. Oh yes, she's been in love with Potter
for years. But she swore they were just friends, swore it numerous times. And I started
to believe her, can you believe that?" I asked, slamming the table with my fist.
"But they are just friends!" Ron howled.
"No, they're not," I said, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. "You want to
believe the best of your sister and friend, do you not?" I didn't wait for him to answer.
"But the truth of this matter is that Ginny and Potter have been more than friends for
years. Behind my back, obviously, or I wouldn't have married her."
Ron sat for a long time, just thinking. I stared out over the fields before us, but
my mind was blank. My mind is always blank when I need to think the most.
"Why?"
"Why what?" I countered. "Why did she marry me? She pitied me. Why didn't she
tell you? So she wouldn't appear as a slut. Why Potter? I honestly don't know. And I
don't want to care about it anymore, but things like that, well, they just don't leave.
All those bloody songs about true love and it conquering it all, well apparently it only
takes one person to experience true love and it hurts like hell when you're on the losing
side."
"Why didn't she tell us after she got the papers? Why did Harry even let her marry
you?" Ron asked. He was asking me questions that I hadn't the slightest clue as to the
truth, but my mind has so many lurid tales to tell.
"Perhaps she was ashamed of what she'd done. Maybe she wanted Harry to believe that
I had broken her heart like everyone said I would. Maybe Harry let her because he wanted
to see me hurt. Or maybe because he wanted her body and not a commitment. Maybe she was
on the losing side of true love. Or maybe she's just a slut."
"Don't talk about her like that," Ron said strongly.
Our conversation died after that. Ron was struggling to keep his opinion of Ginny
above the line. That was the reason so many of the Weasleys had trouble accepting that the
marriage wasn't my fault. They had come to accept me like Ginny had wanted them to, and
some of them, like Ron, had gotten to know me very well. Almost frighteningly well.
"Do you still love her?" Ron asked, his voice booming as it usually did when he was
nervous. This only started happening in sixth year when his voice dropped. God that was
funny.
"Let me tell you something about... 'love' Weasley. It doesn't disappear when the
person you care for does something horrible. My... love for Ginny is as strong today
as it is the day I married her. It will probably take a year for me to get somewhat over
her." I let my voice trail off, and I once again enjoyed the view. "It doesn't matter
anyway. She doesn't love me, and I'm not one to throw myself into a bad venture twice," I
said, as though I was talking business with Weasley.
"I don't think she loves Harry, though. Maybe that was just her last hurrah with
the hero she thought she was in love with," Ron said. I shook my head, not caring that my
hair was scratching my face.
"No. She admitted that it ran for years," I replied, sadly smiling at the ground.
I remember Gin used to call me her little masochist because of sadistic pleasure I got from
my own pain.
"This… it just doesn't seem like something they'd do," Ron said, carefully picking
his words. I sighed again. Weasley wanted to think the best of his sister; he wanted to
pin the blame solely on something I did to shield himself.
"There's always something below the surface," I said. "Take yourself for instance.
First time I meet you, I think 'Weasley. Must be poor, uncouth, a real peasant.' So every
assumption I made of you, everything bad I saw in you, I attributed it to your financial
background. Even though in you I saw the same stubbornness and temper that I myself had.
And below that surface, you've a sense of decency and loyalty I never noticed before." He
nodded as I spoke.
"For a Malfoy, you know you're stuff." I raised an eyebrow. He didn't even look at
me to know I was questioning his wording.
"You tell the truth when you've got it." This time I nodded, and we both stared
out over the rolling hills and watched the sun move across the sky.
It was that day that Ron Weasley and I forged a sort of alliance. In that
conversation, I decided Weasley was a loyal and good person, and Weasley decided I was
honest. We weren't friends, and to this day, we are still only acquaintances. But Weasley
has kept me from making some bad decisions, and I've kept him grounded. Besides, he was my
eye on Ginny, and I his on his would-be bride.
A/N: So here I thank people!
Dangerous Perfection: Woot! Yeah, there seems to have been an increase in the long,
soap opera-ish stories...
Loser1218: Bah! You are not loser!
burgosdamasco: Hmm, this left me confused, but I have routed out the confusion! I said
Draco relived the memory for seven years, but he was not married to Ginny for seven years,
the pain just stuck around as pain is wont to do. Thanks for reviewing!
crystangel03: Thanks for the compliments!
Keisha: He does get screwed a lot... it's kinda like karma.
g: I have written!
mixed: Here is the more!
Creus: He is cool, isn't he?
SillyRiddles: Yeah, I was feeling angsty...
ailstalia: I'm glad you liked it ^_^
crucia: Thanks!
These people set lovely examples, ne? [Reviewing is your friend...]