Disclaimer: I just own the plot.
Review Reponses:
Errisar - Sorry, your review didn't go to my e-mail account just to the fanfic site and I usually check that as well but didn't last time as I was in a rush when I updated. It happens every now and again, fanfic fail to send me a copy of the review, sorry about that that's why I didn't respond to your review last time! I'll respond to them both now. You liked the meeting with the Myriades? I'm pleased that you did, I felt Narcissa needed closure and so did they. Oh yes Sev and Narc's relationship is getting serious (*author practically has a giggling fit as she realises how true this chapter will prove her words to be!*). Glad you're liking their romance, I think they're very well suited to each other. Draco's meeting with his fellow Slytherins will take place next chapter but I will say you were right I am not out to use it as an opportunity to entirely destroy his life, though reactions may not always be favorable. I'm flattered that you trust me as an author! Your intuition about the Prophet gossip columns (see them next chapter too!) was indeed excellent however I still suspect you of using Leglimancy! LOL! I love Ron, he's my favorite of the Gryffindor trio. Don't be sorry for being like Percy in personality he's just a little socially inept at times, I know he's a good person underneath (JK could make him an axe murderer and I'd still be fighting his corner!). Ice cream is a wonderful cure for all ills and a great way to celebrate! I'm pleased you enjoyed chapter fifteen but I'm afraid this one's even shorter! I choose not to reveal the identity of the other Slytherin prefect at this point but you'll meet them next chapter too (gosh everything seems to be happening in the next chapter!) The Slytherins who wandered past without speaking to Draco are only important in so far as they offer a forward glimpse of how much of Slytherin may be feeling with regards to him. Aha! You admit to using leglimancy, I knew it! Did Sev teach you? No surely you'd have died from happiness in that case! LOL! I think you might just like this chapter! The deatheaters will be seen again (and funnily enough that's in the next chapter too, that chapter really doesn't seem long enough to be accommodating all that but I assure you it'll all be in there!) Ron will definitely be back and Percy will too but in a lesser role than Ron unfortunately as he's difficult to work in! Thank you for the reviews, I'll let you read the chapter now after having kept you from it with this rather mammoth response!
Ake-Ami1 - Pleased you liked the watch, personally I'd like one like that but I don't think muggle shops stock them! I'm afraid you won't see any Draco/Ginny romance, I don't mind that pairing but I wouldn't write them. Actually I like the idea of Harry and Ginny (I'm hoping she could kick some sense into him) but I won't be writing that either! Draco won't really be getting romance in this fic I'm afraid I just can't see anyone to pair him with, I can't see him going for a Gryffindor. Sorry to disappoint but I know I'd be awful at writing a Draco romance! Thanks for the review!
PrincessJedi - I know, who'd have thought those two could get on, however I'm sure they'd claim they still couldn't stand each other! Thanks for the review!
Bonezz - Hogwarts will be interesting this year, and we'll see the start of that in the next chapter! Of course you have to love the Weasleys, they're just the best! Look forward to seeing your update soon, don't worry I can't spell either! Thanks for the review!
Dark Comet - I am evil but your wait is over and I really hope people like this chapter, horrifically short as it is! Homework is possibly more evil than me though! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying sixth form. I had some friends doing chemistry and they all said it was really hard! As for maths, well I certainly couldn't have done it! Teachers taking forever to get to the point? That sounds familiar, I think they're all good at that, at times in sixth form I started to feel like the teachers just wanted someone to talk to, which was great apart from when exams were looming and you were getting nothing done! I think I have an aversion to good guys in most things! Love the good guys in Lord of the Rings though so I suppose I don't always end up on the side of the bad guys, though I always thought Grima was pretty cool! Ron's cluelessness is endearing isn't it, Hermione doesn't deserve him! Thanks for the review!
I Found a Little Courage to Call it Off
**Narcissa's Thoughts**
~Draco's Thoughts~
_emphasis_
Chapter 16
A few days before Draco went back to school, Narcissa was walking the grounds alone. She happened to glance at her hand as she trailed it through the cool water in the pond. **I don't believe I'm still wearing my wedding ring!** She slipped the ring off of her finger, and in a moment of childishness, she dropped the silver ring into the pond.
"Narcissa, don't do that." She turned at the sound of Severus' voice. "Do you know how much that ring must be worth? Don't be daft!"
"You have a point. It's worth about a few thousand galleons," she said nonchalantly, while giving Severus a look that hinted that _she_ was not going to fish it out of the pond.
Severus sighed and knelt by the side of the pond to retrieve the ring before one of the Koi Carp could swallow it. He held it out to her.
Suddenly she smiled mischievously. "Yes!"
He frowned. "Yes, what?"
"Sev, you're down on one knee offering me a wedding ring. What's a girl _supposed_ to think?"
"Ha, ha! You know I wasn't..." Then something hit him. "If I proposed, your answer would be yes?!"
She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "I thought you just did propose and that I did say yes."
"Narcissa, are you serious, or is this another one of your jokes?"
"No joke, Sev. Besides, _you_ started it. Don't you want to marry me, now you've proposed?"
He smiled and said seriously, "Yes, I do."
Her face lit up, and she flung her arms around him.
*******
Draco glanced out of the window to see Severus on one knee, holding out a ring to Narcissa. ~Oh my God!~
There were a few seconds when he couldn't work out what had been said. His mother had pulled Severus to his feet and had taken the ring, but it wasn't on her finger. ~Say yes!~
Suddenly, he saw her embrace him with a look of joy on her face.
Draco wrenched open the French windows and ran outside. "Did you say yes?" he called as soon as he got close enough.
"Yes to what?"
"Mum, he was down on one knee offering you a ring. Putting two and two together wasn't that hard."
Narcissa and Severus exchanged an amused look.
"So, what did you say? Are you getting married?"
The two of them stared at each other for a moment, seeming to be communicating something. Severus slipped an arm around her waist, and she nodded.
"Oh, my God!" Draco hugged his mother. "Congratulations!"
"You're ok with this?" Narcissa asked.
"Yes! When's the wedding?"
They both laughed. "Not yet; he only asked me thirty seconds ago. We haven't really talked about it!"
"What do you think about spring?" Severus whispered in her ear.
"I think it's perfect!"
"What? What's perfect?"
"A spring wedding," Narcissa smiled.
Draco laughed suddenly. "Molly Weasley's going to have a field day when she finds out!"
Molly did indeed have a field day, bursting into tears when the two of them told her. Draco found himself being consoled with by Ron at the prospect of having Professor Snape marry his mother, and Ginny spent the evening trying to convince her brothers that it was the cutest thing imaginable.
It was late when Narcissa and Severus finally left the Burrow with Draco that night. Narcissa's head was still spinning, and she found herself leaning into her fiancée as he placed an arm around her waist. **Why is it just when you think you've got fate pegged for the evil bitch she is, she goes and does something nice for you?**
*******
Well, what do you think? I'm really hoping people like this chapter!
Next chapter it's back to Hogwarts and there's all kinds of reunions taking place on platform nine and three quarters!
Please Review!! I know this chapter was very short but it made more sense to cut it off here and put the next part in the next chapter which I assure you is longer than this!
Review Reponses:
Errisar - Sorry, your review didn't go to my e-mail account just to the fanfic site and I usually check that as well but didn't last time as I was in a rush when I updated. It happens every now and again, fanfic fail to send me a copy of the review, sorry about that that's why I didn't respond to your review last time! I'll respond to them both now. You liked the meeting with the Myriades? I'm pleased that you did, I felt Narcissa needed closure and so did they. Oh yes Sev and Narc's relationship is getting serious (*author practically has a giggling fit as she realises how true this chapter will prove her words to be!*). Glad you're liking their romance, I think they're very well suited to each other. Draco's meeting with his fellow Slytherins will take place next chapter but I will say you were right I am not out to use it as an opportunity to entirely destroy his life, though reactions may not always be favorable. I'm flattered that you trust me as an author! Your intuition about the Prophet gossip columns (see them next chapter too!) was indeed excellent however I still suspect you of using Leglimancy! LOL! I love Ron, he's my favorite of the Gryffindor trio. Don't be sorry for being like Percy in personality he's just a little socially inept at times, I know he's a good person underneath (JK could make him an axe murderer and I'd still be fighting his corner!). Ice cream is a wonderful cure for all ills and a great way to celebrate! I'm pleased you enjoyed chapter fifteen but I'm afraid this one's even shorter! I choose not to reveal the identity of the other Slytherin prefect at this point but you'll meet them next chapter too (gosh everything seems to be happening in the next chapter!) The Slytherins who wandered past without speaking to Draco are only important in so far as they offer a forward glimpse of how much of Slytherin may be feeling with regards to him. Aha! You admit to using leglimancy, I knew it! Did Sev teach you? No surely you'd have died from happiness in that case! LOL! I think you might just like this chapter! The deatheaters will be seen again (and funnily enough that's in the next chapter too, that chapter really doesn't seem long enough to be accommodating all that but I assure you it'll all be in there!) Ron will definitely be back and Percy will too but in a lesser role than Ron unfortunately as he's difficult to work in! Thank you for the reviews, I'll let you read the chapter now after having kept you from it with this rather mammoth response!
Ake-Ami1 - Pleased you liked the watch, personally I'd like one like that but I don't think muggle shops stock them! I'm afraid you won't see any Draco/Ginny romance, I don't mind that pairing but I wouldn't write them. Actually I like the idea of Harry and Ginny (I'm hoping she could kick some sense into him) but I won't be writing that either! Draco won't really be getting romance in this fic I'm afraid I just can't see anyone to pair him with, I can't see him going for a Gryffindor. Sorry to disappoint but I know I'd be awful at writing a Draco romance! Thanks for the review!
PrincessJedi - I know, who'd have thought those two could get on, however I'm sure they'd claim they still couldn't stand each other! Thanks for the review!
Bonezz - Hogwarts will be interesting this year, and we'll see the start of that in the next chapter! Of course you have to love the Weasleys, they're just the best! Look forward to seeing your update soon, don't worry I can't spell either! Thanks for the review!
Dark Comet - I am evil but your wait is over and I really hope people like this chapter, horrifically short as it is! Homework is possibly more evil than me though! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying sixth form. I had some friends doing chemistry and they all said it was really hard! As for maths, well I certainly couldn't have done it! Teachers taking forever to get to the point? That sounds familiar, I think they're all good at that, at times in sixth form I started to feel like the teachers just wanted someone to talk to, which was great apart from when exams were looming and you were getting nothing done! I think I have an aversion to good guys in most things! Love the good guys in Lord of the Rings though so I suppose I don't always end up on the side of the bad guys, though I always thought Grima was pretty cool! Ron's cluelessness is endearing isn't it, Hermione doesn't deserve him! Thanks for the review!
I Found a Little Courage to Call it Off
**Narcissa's Thoughts**
~Draco's Thoughts~
_emphasis_
Chapter 16
A few days before Draco went back to school, Narcissa was walking the grounds alone. She happened to glance at her hand as she trailed it through the cool water in the pond. **I don't believe I'm still wearing my wedding ring!** She slipped the ring off of her finger, and in a moment of childishness, she dropped the silver ring into the pond.
"Narcissa, don't do that." She turned at the sound of Severus' voice. "Do you know how much that ring must be worth? Don't be daft!"
"You have a point. It's worth about a few thousand galleons," she said nonchalantly, while giving Severus a look that hinted that _she_ was not going to fish it out of the pond.
Severus sighed and knelt by the side of the pond to retrieve the ring before one of the Koi Carp could swallow it. He held it out to her.
Suddenly she smiled mischievously. "Yes!"
He frowned. "Yes, what?"
"Sev, you're down on one knee offering me a wedding ring. What's a girl _supposed_ to think?"
"Ha, ha! You know I wasn't..." Then something hit him. "If I proposed, your answer would be yes?!"
She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. "I thought you just did propose and that I did say yes."
"Narcissa, are you serious, or is this another one of your jokes?"
"No joke, Sev. Besides, _you_ started it. Don't you want to marry me, now you've proposed?"
He smiled and said seriously, "Yes, I do."
Her face lit up, and she flung her arms around him.
*******
Draco glanced out of the window to see Severus on one knee, holding out a ring to Narcissa. ~Oh my God!~
There were a few seconds when he couldn't work out what had been said. His mother had pulled Severus to his feet and had taken the ring, but it wasn't on her finger. ~Say yes!~
Suddenly, he saw her embrace him with a look of joy on her face.
Draco wrenched open the French windows and ran outside. "Did you say yes?" he called as soon as he got close enough.
"Yes to what?"
"Mum, he was down on one knee offering you a ring. Putting two and two together wasn't that hard."
Narcissa and Severus exchanged an amused look.
"So, what did you say? Are you getting married?"
The two of them stared at each other for a moment, seeming to be communicating something. Severus slipped an arm around her waist, and she nodded.
"Oh, my God!" Draco hugged his mother. "Congratulations!"
"You're ok with this?" Narcissa asked.
"Yes! When's the wedding?"
They both laughed. "Not yet; he only asked me thirty seconds ago. We haven't really talked about it!"
"What do you think about spring?" Severus whispered in her ear.
"I think it's perfect!"
"What? What's perfect?"
"A spring wedding," Narcissa smiled.
Draco laughed suddenly. "Molly Weasley's going to have a field day when she finds out!"
Molly did indeed have a field day, bursting into tears when the two of them told her. Draco found himself being consoled with by Ron at the prospect of having Professor Snape marry his mother, and Ginny spent the evening trying to convince her brothers that it was the cutest thing imaginable.
It was late when Narcissa and Severus finally left the Burrow with Draco that night. Narcissa's head was still spinning, and she found herself leaning into her fiancée as he placed an arm around her waist. **Why is it just when you think you've got fate pegged for the evil bitch she is, she goes and does something nice for you?**
*******
Well, what do you think? I'm really hoping people like this chapter!
Next chapter it's back to Hogwarts and there's all kinds of reunions taking place on platform nine and three quarters!
Please Review!! I know this chapter was very short but it made more sense to cut it off here and put the next part in the next chapter which I assure you is longer than this!
