Disclaimer:
Review Responses:
Soccergirl2044 - Harry, Ron and Hermione are here, hope you enjoy this chapter too! Thanks for the review!
number seven - Narcissa, difficult? Now when has she ever been difficult? LOL! Only every day of her life I suppose! The wedding's in early/mid January so yes it's in winter. Arthur Weasley's in charge of the rings and actually nobody's walking her up the aisle. I doubt Narcissa would be too flattered about the idea of being 'given away' as though she were somebody's possession and I don't think she or Sev would be comfortable at the idea of her belonging to him. After everything she's been through I think she likes to assert her independence! Also no flower girl, I'm sorry but she really isn't going through the whole white wedding thing again, she had enough of that the first time. I'm sure Ginny will look sweet though, good guess on the colour of her robes! Have you also reviewed under the name the googoos doll? Just curious. Thanks for the review!
Bonezz - Yes I think Sev and Arthur deserve some sympathy for putting up with shopping with Molly! I love celtic designs too, that's why I picked it. I've often wished for a flying broomstick, now there's a piece of HP merchandise that would sell like hot cakes! One chapter closer to the wedding! Thankd for reviewing!
Dark Comet - Thank you kindly for the cheering noises and I'm impressed that you were able to review at all after New Year, I do hope you;ve recovered from the frivolities by now. Thanks for reviewing!
Errisar - Don't worry about reviewing late, I'm always updating late! Hope you had fun visiting relatives. The next chapter (24) is the wedding but it's not the last chapter, the end draws near however. There's 26 chapters in all plus an epilogue which is a bit different to the rest. Yes, I think Sev and Narcissa's views of shopping could hardly be more different! LOL! Severus will not see the dress until the wedding day, though there's a slight hiccup in that plan in the next chapter! It is good that Narcissa is planning the wedding, poor Sev it's cruel but we all know it would happen at Hogwarts if it was left to him to sort out! Hope you are recovered from the tying weekend, I'm a little stressed myself having two essays due on the 12th of January and having finished neither of them! Thanks for the review!
T.A.Skywalker - I'm afraid it's less that the internet has died and more that the internet connection thingy on my computer has, it's all darned annoying! People should be reviewing your story, I think it's really good and I'm so sorry I haven't reviewed your update still! I feel terrible but it's been so difficult to find the time when I could access the internet! I'll try to review when I post this part so hopefully when you read this I'll have reviewed you. I thought your writing was beautifully descriptive and I very much enjoyed it! Ah yes, Dumbledore. I can see where you're coming from with regards to that! He's a tough one I think, unfortunately I keep changing my opinion of him, I swing from respecting him to despising him! He doesn't come into the fic much from now on but any tips for future stories? Perhaps I write him badly because I find it hard to view him the way Harry so often does. He's a difficult one to pin down unfortunately. I know you're technically supposed to where white as a sign of virginity but most people where white at weddings anyway and Molly just thinks it's the thing to do. I agree, it would not be suitable for Narcissa to wear white! LOL! You've gone to so much trouble with my stories, printing them out and binding them together, it really is flattering that you've taken so much time! Sorry to hear about you and family getting sick over Christmas, that's rotten luck! Still at least your classes went well, congratulations on the results! I actually studied the whole nature v. Nurture argument when I did Sociology at AS level. I found it fascinating! You're not upset I killed Lucy? I am, I rather fell for his evilness! Still, Narcissa's better off with the lovely Severus and Lucius is probably ruling hell by now! LOL! You were an exchange student in England? I hope you liked it here, where did you stay? Thanks for the well wishes on the computer I too hope it won't be long til it's back to normal. Thanks for the review!
I Found a Little Courage to Call it Off
Chapter 23
The second week in December brought with it the first Gryffindor/Slytherin quidditch match of the year. It also brought Draco down to breakfast at an 'ungodly hour of the morning' as Blaise called it when Draco knocked a stack of books over in their dormitory, waking his fellow Slytherin up several hours too early in Blaise's opinion. When Draco's only response had been to grunt at him, Blaise had hurled his pillow at his friend, only to realise that he couldn't sleep without a pillow anyway so he decided he might as well get up. This was why a rather grouchy Blaise Zabini was sat next to a rather hyperactive Draco Malfoy. Draco wasn't eating and couldn't stay still for more than a few seconds at a time, irritating Blaise no end.
"Draco, it's just a game!" he snapped, pulling the napkin Draco had been steadily shredding away from him.
"It's not 'just a game'! I have to beat Potter!" Draco insisted.
"No you don't, you just have to play to the best of your ability," a voice sounded from behind them.
Draco turned and smiled weakly at Severus. Meanwhile Blaise muttered darkly into his toast and marmalade that the potions master better be able to calm Draco down or Blaise would start taking the situation into his own hands and Draco wouldn't like the results.
"Draco stop panicking. It won't help at all and it doesn't matter whether you win or lose..."
"I know, it's how you play," Draco drawled, clearly unimpressed with that idea.
"No, it's whether or not you can knock Potter off his broom," the potions master smirked.
Blaise snorted in amusement and even Draco managed a genuine smile. "I'll try!"
"Draco, you've been practicing like mad. Just forget who your opponent is for once and concentrate on the snitch and on nothing else...apart from possibly where the bludgers are." Severus smirked and placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder before heading up to the top table as more students began to file in for breakfast.
Draco ate little, despite Pansy's prodding once she came down to eat breakfast. He was about to leave the hall when he found her hand on his arm. "Draco, aren't you forgetting something?" she prompted.
"What?" he asked, confused.
She sighed. "You have to taunt Potter!"
"Oh, right. I'm not in the mood."
"Not in the mood! What are you, a Slytherin or a Gryffindor? Potter needs taunting!" Pansy began pushing him across to the other side of the hall and Draco decided to comply and walk on his own to prevent himself from enduring too much unnecessary embarrassment. Taking a deep breath he strutted across to where the Gryffindor team were seated and said, "Ready to lose, Potter?" It wasn't his best taunt but it would have to do.
"You wish Malfoy," Harry shot back.
"We're going to win," Ron, the new Gryffindor keeper, said, "and Harry has an unbroken record when it comes to catching that snitch when playing against Slytherin so _you_ haven't a hope in hell!"
"Yes he has, we have every faith in him!" Pansy clearly felt the need to but in.
Draco smirked, "See you on the pitch Potty, when you have to congratulate me for having won!"
As he walked off he found Pansy talking to him again.
"Draco, let me give you one hint."
"You're giving me quidditch hints?" This was a laugh. Pansy was not the best of quidditch players and barely understood how the game was played at all.
She brushed aside his laughter and turned serious. "Just the one. This time if you don't catch the snitch, just admit you failed rather than claiming the snitch doesn't like you. It makes you sound a bit disturbed when you do that!"
"That bloody thing _doesn't_ like me!" he said as Blaise and Millicent collapsed into laughter, having not heard that particular fact about Draco's attitude to losing quidditch games.
*******
In the changing rooms Draco found himself the focus of one of his captain's pep talks. One of the first things they'd noticed about Montague was that he might be quiet most of the time but he could get pretty vocal when near a quidditch pitch.
"Draco, Potter may be able to outfly you, but I know you can outthink him! The boy's got the mentality of a deranged dingbat, and he's twice as daft! Don't try to out do him with your flying skills; you're fairly evenly matched, but he's a bit better than you, I must admit. However, that doesn't mean you can't beat him; you just have to do things a different way like we discussed. Use your brain and keep your mind on the match! This last part goes for everyone, you're Slytherins and they're just a bunch of idiot Gryffindors. I want to see you slaughter them!"
The team cheered and Montague added, "Perhaps not literally, but Slaughter them figuratively at least!"
"Potter's not getting that snitch, Montague!" Draco drawled. "We're going to win!"
"That's the spirit. Slytherins don't lose!"
*******
Out on the pitch, Draco was suddenly feeling a lot less confident in their winning. After all, the snitch _really_ didn't like him, and his team was yet to score a single goal.
Ron was proving a formidable keeper and the chasers were simply refusing to get themselves organised. Much to Montague's rather vocal dismay, they had started working against each other to score goals rather than working together. Ever since Montague had yelled at the other two they had been less than cooperative with his tactics, and his desperate glance at Draco made it clear that he expected him to end this game soon before the Gryffindor chasers scored any more goals than the large amount they already had. Draco continued to look carefully for the snitch, then suddenly he saw a flash of gold just behind Ron.
Draco thought carefully, ~Potter hasn't seen it, but if I tear after it he'll notice and he'll get there before me, he always gets there before me! Time to use a different tactic.~
"Hey Weasel!" he called and flew towards him in a leisurely fashion, looking as though he were about to start taunting him about something. It was only when it was far too late that Harry realised what he was actually up to. Ron realised the snitch was behind him and desperately tried to block Draco's path, but he looped him easily and grabbed his small golden tormentor. Ron could never be sure but he could have sworn he heard something like, "Got you you little bastard! I'll teach you to humiliate me!" but there was no way to tell over the huge round of applause that came from the Slytherin supporters in the crowd.
"I don't believe it," Lee Jordan was saying, "For the first time ever Malfoy has caught the snitch before Harry Potter. Well, of course we all know that he must have cheated, after all...."
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall snapped. She was not in a good mood. Not only had Gryffindor lost, but Severus was looking decidedly pleased with himself. She cursed as she realised she now owed him twenty galleons.
Snape walked across to where McGonagall was standing. "Hard luck Professor, but I'm sure we both agree that the best team won. Your house put up a good fight."
Minerva fumed silently, looking as if she were about to curse Severus into next week, when he gave her an evil smile and walked off to congratulate the Slytherin team, who were looking at least as smug as their head of house.
*******
"I can't believe Malfoy caught the snitch!" Harry said for the umpteenth time.
"Harry, it was over an hour ago. Get over it!" Hermione snapped.
Harry had been saying this ever since it happened, and his condition had not been helped by Draco coming up to him after the match and saying, "Never mind Potter; I'm sure you'll try harder next time!" He had then laughed and offered to shake Harry's hand. Not wishing to appear a sore loser, and frankly not really comprehending much of what was going on, Harry had shaken hands with him in silence. The Slytherins had then swooped down on Draco and dragged him off to celebrate.
"Well, it could be worse," Angelina said. "They won 150 to 80, their chasers didn't score a single goal, we're still in with a chance at the cup."
"I can't believe _Malfoy_ caught the snitch!" was the only response she received from Harry.
*******
Draco had gone from being a near outcast in his own house, still shown respect only because his mother was involved with Professor Snape and because Pansy and Millicent had threatened to turn very nasty if he wasn't, to being Slytherin's temporary hero.
The party carried on for the rest of the day, but Draco slipped away in the afternoon to see Severus, who was delighted at the victory and even more so at his having won his bet with McGonagall.
When Narcissa heard she collapsed into tears and sent Draco and the rest of the quidditch team a large box of celebratory sweets and bottles of butterbeer. It seemed her hormones were a little out of synch due to the pregnancy, and Severus and Draco had started treading much more carefully where she was concerned, realising that it might be more than either of their lives was worth to upset her.
*******
Christmas was soon upon them, and a delighted Narcissa was stood waiting on platform nine and three quarters with Molly and Arthur Weasley and Greg Zabini. As soon as she saw Severus she ran across and hugged him, in spite of his protests of there being students watching. Ginny Weasley and a couple of other girls from her year were exclaiming at how sweet it was to see Professor Snape had a sensitive side, and Narcissa dragged her fiancée away before he could kill anyone. Draco said his goodbyes to Pansy, Blaise and Millicent, all of whom had been invited to the wedding ceremony in gratitude from Narcissa for their having stood by her son.
As the three of them fooled around decorating the manor for Christmas Narcissa couldn't remember the last time she'd been happier. Watching Draco and Severus laugh together made her feel that for the first time she had a real family. The two of them were very protective of her and insisted she keep her feet up. Narcissa felt fine, but she did enjoy being pampered. The medi-wizard had advised her to be extra careful due Draco's premature birth just in case it happened again. It was for this reason that she had suggested that she and Severus leave off the idea of a honeymoon. It was clear that, though she was trying not to show it, the medi-wizard's warning had made a severe impression on her.
"Severus, I'm just not sure that it's a good idea. I don't want to be away from medical assistance in case anything goes wrong, though I wish we could go away. Somewhere far away from everything - Iceland or somewhere!"
"Then let's go. You shouldn't worry too much; the medi-wizard didn't advise you not to go away."
"I know, but I just think it would be better to go away some other time."
"Whatever you want," Severus kissed her forehead. "But please don't worry; it won't do you any good to be stressed."
"I'm not. Well, not _too_ stressed anyway. I'm just glad to be spending Christmas with you and Draco."
"Please tell me you haven't bought him a Firebolt!"
"No," she laughed, "Though I was tempted to. It's not like he hasn't dropped enough hints!"
"He's proven he can beat Potter on his current broom. He doesn't need a new one; he's just become fixated on the idea of having one."
"I know, but I like spoiling him."
Severus chuckled dryly. "I'd noticed."
As it was Draco received many Christmas presents from Severus and Narcissa and also from his friends. Among these gifts was a black Weasley jumper with a green dragon on it from Molly and her family, but to Severus' surprise Draco simply smirked in a manner which suggested that Ron and the others were not going to be laughing at him because of it.
***I wonder what he's been up to?***
*******
Meanwhile, at the Burrow, Ron was opening a parcel in green and silver wrapping when something large and hairy and with far too many legs jumped out at him. Ron yelled and jumped back as the hairy rubber spider landed where he had been sitting. Fred and George cracked up and Percy had to remove it before Ron would sit back down and see what else was in the box. It was a new wooden chess set beautifully carved from ebony and silver birch. Ron gasped and unfolded the note to see who could have sent such a handsome gift.
Don't think this means I like you Weasley but you're a half decent chess player and I got sick of playing with that tatty old set of yours. Hope you liked the spider!
Draco.
"Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm going to kill him for that spider!" but the threat was half hearted. Ron was too taken with his new chess set to contemplate doing actual bodily harm to the little ferret.
*******
There was more than one Malfoy plotting against poor Ron though. When Molly had asked what Narcissa had wanted for a wedding present she had replied, only hakf in jest, "Get Ron to bring Hermione as a date!"
Molly was, of course, not one to let down a friend and so it was that on the morning of the wedding Ron would hear these words:
"Come on now dear, time to get up. The wedding's today. Oh, by the way dear, I asked Hermione to come as your date. The invitation does say you can bring a guest and she's never been to a wizarding wedding. So, make sure you look nice and smart."
Ron was left, sat bolt upright in bed, thoroughly confused and rather disbelieving.
*******
Next Chapter it's the wedding day! The chapter's perhaps a little bitter sweet but I don't want to worry anyone.
Please Review!!
Review Responses:
Soccergirl2044 - Harry, Ron and Hermione are here, hope you enjoy this chapter too! Thanks for the review!
number seven - Narcissa, difficult? Now when has she ever been difficult? LOL! Only every day of her life I suppose! The wedding's in early/mid January so yes it's in winter. Arthur Weasley's in charge of the rings and actually nobody's walking her up the aisle. I doubt Narcissa would be too flattered about the idea of being 'given away' as though she were somebody's possession and I don't think she or Sev would be comfortable at the idea of her belonging to him. After everything she's been through I think she likes to assert her independence! Also no flower girl, I'm sorry but she really isn't going through the whole white wedding thing again, she had enough of that the first time. I'm sure Ginny will look sweet though, good guess on the colour of her robes! Have you also reviewed under the name the googoos doll? Just curious. Thanks for the review!
Bonezz - Yes I think Sev and Arthur deserve some sympathy for putting up with shopping with Molly! I love celtic designs too, that's why I picked it. I've often wished for a flying broomstick, now there's a piece of HP merchandise that would sell like hot cakes! One chapter closer to the wedding! Thankd for reviewing!
Dark Comet - Thank you kindly for the cheering noises and I'm impressed that you were able to review at all after New Year, I do hope you;ve recovered from the frivolities by now. Thanks for reviewing!
Errisar - Don't worry about reviewing late, I'm always updating late! Hope you had fun visiting relatives. The next chapter (24) is the wedding but it's not the last chapter, the end draws near however. There's 26 chapters in all plus an epilogue which is a bit different to the rest. Yes, I think Sev and Narcissa's views of shopping could hardly be more different! LOL! Severus will not see the dress until the wedding day, though there's a slight hiccup in that plan in the next chapter! It is good that Narcissa is planning the wedding, poor Sev it's cruel but we all know it would happen at Hogwarts if it was left to him to sort out! Hope you are recovered from the tying weekend, I'm a little stressed myself having two essays due on the 12th of January and having finished neither of them! Thanks for the review!
T.A.Skywalker - I'm afraid it's less that the internet has died and more that the internet connection thingy on my computer has, it's all darned annoying! People should be reviewing your story, I think it's really good and I'm so sorry I haven't reviewed your update still! I feel terrible but it's been so difficult to find the time when I could access the internet! I'll try to review when I post this part so hopefully when you read this I'll have reviewed you. I thought your writing was beautifully descriptive and I very much enjoyed it! Ah yes, Dumbledore. I can see where you're coming from with regards to that! He's a tough one I think, unfortunately I keep changing my opinion of him, I swing from respecting him to despising him! He doesn't come into the fic much from now on but any tips for future stories? Perhaps I write him badly because I find it hard to view him the way Harry so often does. He's a difficult one to pin down unfortunately. I know you're technically supposed to where white as a sign of virginity but most people where white at weddings anyway and Molly just thinks it's the thing to do. I agree, it would not be suitable for Narcissa to wear white! LOL! You've gone to so much trouble with my stories, printing them out and binding them together, it really is flattering that you've taken so much time! Sorry to hear about you and family getting sick over Christmas, that's rotten luck! Still at least your classes went well, congratulations on the results! I actually studied the whole nature v. Nurture argument when I did Sociology at AS level. I found it fascinating! You're not upset I killed Lucy? I am, I rather fell for his evilness! Still, Narcissa's better off with the lovely Severus and Lucius is probably ruling hell by now! LOL! You were an exchange student in England? I hope you liked it here, where did you stay? Thanks for the well wishes on the computer I too hope it won't be long til it's back to normal. Thanks for the review!
I Found a Little Courage to Call it Off
Chapter 23
The second week in December brought with it the first Gryffindor/Slytherin quidditch match of the year. It also brought Draco down to breakfast at an 'ungodly hour of the morning' as Blaise called it when Draco knocked a stack of books over in their dormitory, waking his fellow Slytherin up several hours too early in Blaise's opinion. When Draco's only response had been to grunt at him, Blaise had hurled his pillow at his friend, only to realise that he couldn't sleep without a pillow anyway so he decided he might as well get up. This was why a rather grouchy Blaise Zabini was sat next to a rather hyperactive Draco Malfoy. Draco wasn't eating and couldn't stay still for more than a few seconds at a time, irritating Blaise no end.
"Draco, it's just a game!" he snapped, pulling the napkin Draco had been steadily shredding away from him.
"It's not 'just a game'! I have to beat Potter!" Draco insisted.
"No you don't, you just have to play to the best of your ability," a voice sounded from behind them.
Draco turned and smiled weakly at Severus. Meanwhile Blaise muttered darkly into his toast and marmalade that the potions master better be able to calm Draco down or Blaise would start taking the situation into his own hands and Draco wouldn't like the results.
"Draco stop panicking. It won't help at all and it doesn't matter whether you win or lose..."
"I know, it's how you play," Draco drawled, clearly unimpressed with that idea.
"No, it's whether or not you can knock Potter off his broom," the potions master smirked.
Blaise snorted in amusement and even Draco managed a genuine smile. "I'll try!"
"Draco, you've been practicing like mad. Just forget who your opponent is for once and concentrate on the snitch and on nothing else...apart from possibly where the bludgers are." Severus smirked and placed a fatherly hand on his shoulder before heading up to the top table as more students began to file in for breakfast.
Draco ate little, despite Pansy's prodding once she came down to eat breakfast. He was about to leave the hall when he found her hand on his arm. "Draco, aren't you forgetting something?" she prompted.
"What?" he asked, confused.
She sighed. "You have to taunt Potter!"
"Oh, right. I'm not in the mood."
"Not in the mood! What are you, a Slytherin or a Gryffindor? Potter needs taunting!" Pansy began pushing him across to the other side of the hall and Draco decided to comply and walk on his own to prevent himself from enduring too much unnecessary embarrassment. Taking a deep breath he strutted across to where the Gryffindor team were seated and said, "Ready to lose, Potter?" It wasn't his best taunt but it would have to do.
"You wish Malfoy," Harry shot back.
"We're going to win," Ron, the new Gryffindor keeper, said, "and Harry has an unbroken record when it comes to catching that snitch when playing against Slytherin so _you_ haven't a hope in hell!"
"Yes he has, we have every faith in him!" Pansy clearly felt the need to but in.
Draco smirked, "See you on the pitch Potty, when you have to congratulate me for having won!"
As he walked off he found Pansy talking to him again.
"Draco, let me give you one hint."
"You're giving me quidditch hints?" This was a laugh. Pansy was not the best of quidditch players and barely understood how the game was played at all.
She brushed aside his laughter and turned serious. "Just the one. This time if you don't catch the snitch, just admit you failed rather than claiming the snitch doesn't like you. It makes you sound a bit disturbed when you do that!"
"That bloody thing _doesn't_ like me!" he said as Blaise and Millicent collapsed into laughter, having not heard that particular fact about Draco's attitude to losing quidditch games.
*******
In the changing rooms Draco found himself the focus of one of his captain's pep talks. One of the first things they'd noticed about Montague was that he might be quiet most of the time but he could get pretty vocal when near a quidditch pitch.
"Draco, Potter may be able to outfly you, but I know you can outthink him! The boy's got the mentality of a deranged dingbat, and he's twice as daft! Don't try to out do him with your flying skills; you're fairly evenly matched, but he's a bit better than you, I must admit. However, that doesn't mean you can't beat him; you just have to do things a different way like we discussed. Use your brain and keep your mind on the match! This last part goes for everyone, you're Slytherins and they're just a bunch of idiot Gryffindors. I want to see you slaughter them!"
The team cheered and Montague added, "Perhaps not literally, but Slaughter them figuratively at least!"
"Potter's not getting that snitch, Montague!" Draco drawled. "We're going to win!"
"That's the spirit. Slytherins don't lose!"
*******
Out on the pitch, Draco was suddenly feeling a lot less confident in their winning. After all, the snitch _really_ didn't like him, and his team was yet to score a single goal.
Ron was proving a formidable keeper and the chasers were simply refusing to get themselves organised. Much to Montague's rather vocal dismay, they had started working against each other to score goals rather than working together. Ever since Montague had yelled at the other two they had been less than cooperative with his tactics, and his desperate glance at Draco made it clear that he expected him to end this game soon before the Gryffindor chasers scored any more goals than the large amount they already had. Draco continued to look carefully for the snitch, then suddenly he saw a flash of gold just behind Ron.
Draco thought carefully, ~Potter hasn't seen it, but if I tear after it he'll notice and he'll get there before me, he always gets there before me! Time to use a different tactic.~
"Hey Weasel!" he called and flew towards him in a leisurely fashion, looking as though he were about to start taunting him about something. It was only when it was far too late that Harry realised what he was actually up to. Ron realised the snitch was behind him and desperately tried to block Draco's path, but he looped him easily and grabbed his small golden tormentor. Ron could never be sure but he could have sworn he heard something like, "Got you you little bastard! I'll teach you to humiliate me!" but there was no way to tell over the huge round of applause that came from the Slytherin supporters in the crowd.
"I don't believe it," Lee Jordan was saying, "For the first time ever Malfoy has caught the snitch before Harry Potter. Well, of course we all know that he must have cheated, after all...."
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall snapped. She was not in a good mood. Not only had Gryffindor lost, but Severus was looking decidedly pleased with himself. She cursed as she realised she now owed him twenty galleons.
Snape walked across to where McGonagall was standing. "Hard luck Professor, but I'm sure we both agree that the best team won. Your house put up a good fight."
Minerva fumed silently, looking as if she were about to curse Severus into next week, when he gave her an evil smile and walked off to congratulate the Slytherin team, who were looking at least as smug as their head of house.
*******
"I can't believe Malfoy caught the snitch!" Harry said for the umpteenth time.
"Harry, it was over an hour ago. Get over it!" Hermione snapped.
Harry had been saying this ever since it happened, and his condition had not been helped by Draco coming up to him after the match and saying, "Never mind Potter; I'm sure you'll try harder next time!" He had then laughed and offered to shake Harry's hand. Not wishing to appear a sore loser, and frankly not really comprehending much of what was going on, Harry had shaken hands with him in silence. The Slytherins had then swooped down on Draco and dragged him off to celebrate.
"Well, it could be worse," Angelina said. "They won 150 to 80, their chasers didn't score a single goal, we're still in with a chance at the cup."
"I can't believe _Malfoy_ caught the snitch!" was the only response she received from Harry.
*******
Draco had gone from being a near outcast in his own house, still shown respect only because his mother was involved with Professor Snape and because Pansy and Millicent had threatened to turn very nasty if he wasn't, to being Slytherin's temporary hero.
The party carried on for the rest of the day, but Draco slipped away in the afternoon to see Severus, who was delighted at the victory and even more so at his having won his bet with McGonagall.
When Narcissa heard she collapsed into tears and sent Draco and the rest of the quidditch team a large box of celebratory sweets and bottles of butterbeer. It seemed her hormones were a little out of synch due to the pregnancy, and Severus and Draco had started treading much more carefully where she was concerned, realising that it might be more than either of their lives was worth to upset her.
*******
Christmas was soon upon them, and a delighted Narcissa was stood waiting on platform nine and three quarters with Molly and Arthur Weasley and Greg Zabini. As soon as she saw Severus she ran across and hugged him, in spite of his protests of there being students watching. Ginny Weasley and a couple of other girls from her year were exclaiming at how sweet it was to see Professor Snape had a sensitive side, and Narcissa dragged her fiancée away before he could kill anyone. Draco said his goodbyes to Pansy, Blaise and Millicent, all of whom had been invited to the wedding ceremony in gratitude from Narcissa for their having stood by her son.
As the three of them fooled around decorating the manor for Christmas Narcissa couldn't remember the last time she'd been happier. Watching Draco and Severus laugh together made her feel that for the first time she had a real family. The two of them were very protective of her and insisted she keep her feet up. Narcissa felt fine, but she did enjoy being pampered. The medi-wizard had advised her to be extra careful due Draco's premature birth just in case it happened again. It was for this reason that she had suggested that she and Severus leave off the idea of a honeymoon. It was clear that, though she was trying not to show it, the medi-wizard's warning had made a severe impression on her.
"Severus, I'm just not sure that it's a good idea. I don't want to be away from medical assistance in case anything goes wrong, though I wish we could go away. Somewhere far away from everything - Iceland or somewhere!"
"Then let's go. You shouldn't worry too much; the medi-wizard didn't advise you not to go away."
"I know, but I just think it would be better to go away some other time."
"Whatever you want," Severus kissed her forehead. "But please don't worry; it won't do you any good to be stressed."
"I'm not. Well, not _too_ stressed anyway. I'm just glad to be spending Christmas with you and Draco."
"Please tell me you haven't bought him a Firebolt!"
"No," she laughed, "Though I was tempted to. It's not like he hasn't dropped enough hints!"
"He's proven he can beat Potter on his current broom. He doesn't need a new one; he's just become fixated on the idea of having one."
"I know, but I like spoiling him."
Severus chuckled dryly. "I'd noticed."
As it was Draco received many Christmas presents from Severus and Narcissa and also from his friends. Among these gifts was a black Weasley jumper with a green dragon on it from Molly and her family, but to Severus' surprise Draco simply smirked in a manner which suggested that Ron and the others were not going to be laughing at him because of it.
***I wonder what he's been up to?***
*******
Meanwhile, at the Burrow, Ron was opening a parcel in green and silver wrapping when something large and hairy and with far too many legs jumped out at him. Ron yelled and jumped back as the hairy rubber spider landed where he had been sitting. Fred and George cracked up and Percy had to remove it before Ron would sit back down and see what else was in the box. It was a new wooden chess set beautifully carved from ebony and silver birch. Ron gasped and unfolded the note to see who could have sent such a handsome gift.
Don't think this means I like you Weasley but you're a half decent chess player and I got sick of playing with that tatty old set of yours. Hope you liked the spider!
Draco.
"Malfoy!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm going to kill him for that spider!" but the threat was half hearted. Ron was too taken with his new chess set to contemplate doing actual bodily harm to the little ferret.
*******
There was more than one Malfoy plotting against poor Ron though. When Molly had asked what Narcissa had wanted for a wedding present she had replied, only hakf in jest, "Get Ron to bring Hermione as a date!"
Molly was, of course, not one to let down a friend and so it was that on the morning of the wedding Ron would hear these words:
"Come on now dear, time to get up. The wedding's today. Oh, by the way dear, I asked Hermione to come as your date. The invitation does say you can bring a guest and she's never been to a wizarding wedding. So, make sure you look nice and smart."
Ron was left, sat bolt upright in bed, thoroughly confused and rather disbelieving.
*******
Next Chapter it's the wedding day! The chapter's perhaps a little bitter sweet but I don't want to worry anyone.
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