Do not own it!
Here is Chapter XII. I still do not know whether or not I will abandon this story. I just do not feel that I am getting support for it. It is sad. -sniffles-
November 21
"DRACO MALFOY GET DOWN HERE AT ONCE! We are going to be late!" Ginny shouted up the stairs. "Mum, Dad, you two had better apparate to Malfoy Manor."
Arthur and Molly Weasley smiled at each other.
"We will meet up with you at Dinner dear," Mr. Weasley said and hugged his daughter goodbye.
The two, Arthur and Molly, took the others hand and apparated to Malfoy Manor with two loud cracks.
"Draco! Men are supposed to be a bit sloppy!" Ginny shouted up the stairs again.
"NOT a MALFOY!" he shouted in return. Draco stared at himself in the mirror.
"You are on hell of a good looking boy," the bathroom mirror said flirtatiously.
Draco slicked his hair back combing it just so. He straightened his robes vainly. He smirked and left the bathroom finally satisfied that he looked completely perfect.
"Ginevra," he said descending the stairs proudly.
Ginny looked up. She suddenly felt taken on a trip down memory lane. He came strutting down the staircase in rich black velvet high collar robes. He looked perfect. The best part was no frilly pick robed moron clinging to his arm.
Draco stared openly at Ginny. She was gorgeous. She was dressed in a beautiful emerald green muggle style dress. It was spaghetti strap and made of a material that shone in the light. She wore elbow length gloves that were connected to the dress with a thin strip of gauze like material. Her hair was up in piles of curls on top of her head with two pieces framing her face. Her make-up was done tastefully, just a small bit of eye-shadow and blush. She wore no jewelry.
Ginny reached to open the closet but was stopped by Draco, who opened the door and removed Ginny's cloak and draped it over her shoulders. He took out his own wool cloak and wrapped it around his shoulders.
"Shall we go?" Draco asked offering Ginny his arm.
Ginny smiled and placed her hand on his arm and apparated them to the foyer of the Malfoy Mansion.
A small house elf had his head bowed as he took tiny cloaks.
Ginny smiled and thanked the little creature. Its eyes got big and a bit freaked out. The elf quickly seemed to remember his manners and it bowed and started to take them away.
Draco looked down at the elf.
"Tinker?" Draco questioned looking down at the small elf.
The elf's eyes shot up.
"Master Draco?" the elf questioned staring up at his master. Its large eyes welled with tears. "You is alive. Master isn't dead. You must see Great Lady Malfoy."
"I hope mum will see me," Draco said.
Ginny and Draco entered the ball room and a tiny elf announced them as 'Ginny Weasley and guest.'
They descended a grand marble staircase with a deep red carpet. Draco walked careful and slow with Ginny on his arm.
A group of photographers surrounded them at the foot of the stairs taking hundreds of pictures. One glare from Draco sent them skittering away.
"Ginny," a bushy brunette called and walked forward to greet her and Draco.
"Hermione," Ginny cried walking forward. She hugged Hermione to the best she could.
"By the way Gin, Congratulations. Earlier this afternoon Angelina gave birth to your niece."
Ginny slapped her hand over her mouth.
As they pulled apart Hermione put her hand on her large stomach.
Draco sneered derisively at Hermione. "Who knocked you up mudblood?"
Hermione eyes flashed and she whipped her own wand out. "You've no business speaking to me that way!" Hermione hissed. "And you said you wouldn't call me that you twisted sick little brat!" Even in her hormone driven state she knew it would not look good if Harry Potter's wife was causing a scene.
Hermione clutched her stomach and clenched her eyes shut. She was panting a bit and a few tears leaked from her eyes and smeared the rouge on her cheeks.
"Hermy, calm down," a soft voice called and a hand reached forward and pressed into her back.
"Hello Harry," Ginny said with a smile at the tall man with messy dark hair.
"Good evening Miss Weasley. It is still Miss Weasley?" Harry said extending his hand to her.
Ginny refused the hand and instead wrapped her arms around him.
"Yes Harry. I believe you will remember my date for this evening," Ginny said releasing him and turning to see Draco glaring at Harry. Ginny saw his temper was about to go off. She swiftly moved to his side and wrapped her arms around one of his.
Harry gently wrapped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and she draped an arm around his back.
"Ginny, Hermione and I were wondering if you might be our child's god mum?" Harry asked with a warm grin.
Ginny gasped, "I-I'd love to."
Harry looked Draco over critically. Draco just sniffed haughtily and looked down his nose at the Potters.
"Draco?" Harry asked and his green eyes widened in shock.
"Potty," Draco said with a neutral tone yet slightly repulsed expression on his face.
Ginny sank her nails into his arm.
"A pleasure as always," Draco said ignoring the pain of his date's nails and he gave them a malicious grin before turning to look down at Ginny.
"Oh look there's Remus," Ginny said tugging on Draco's arm. "We should go see him."
"See you later," Draco said raising his eyebrows briefly at them.
Ginny tugged him over in the direction of the Head of Werewolf Registration.
"It's good to see you Miss Weasley," Remus said shaking her hand. He was as thin and pale as he had ever been.
"Dear, dear Mr. Lupin," Ginny said trailing a hand down his thin pale face. "You look like death."
"Full moon was last week," Remus said looking quite shaky.
Draco watched his Ginevra. She still held his arm firmly and he reached over with his other and covered hers. She looked to him, a smile lighting her face.
Remus managed a gentle small smile, "It is always a pleasure to see two former students."
Draco kept silent through the entire exchange.
"Lady Malfoy, your host," a voice magically made louder with the sonorus charm boomed over all the other voices and the light background string music that had been playing stopped.
A very beautiful woman with luxurious august silver blonde curls that were tastefully pinned up with small gold pins studded with emeralds and diamonds. Her dress was ravishing dark green velvet. The torso was hand embroidered with silver thread. It cut across her chest modestly. It was sleeveless and she had bracelets adorning each wrist. They were silver with snakes carved into them. A choker necklace, also made of silver decorated her neck. She descended the stairs with stately grace and dignity. All eyes were glued to her. She looked back at them; her eyes were blue-grey and cold as ice.
Draco stared at his mother. He could practically feel the room drop ten degrees as her eyes swept over the occupants. That was his mum. She would be so much more beautiful if she had a smile on her face. It looked as if she had not smiled in years; as if, to her, there was nothing what-so-ever to be happy about. His eyes clenched shut trying to remember any memory with her being happier.
He saw a small boy holding her hand as they strolled around Diagon Alley.
Draco opened his eyes then and watched his mother greet all the guests with nods, hand shaking, and an occasional word or two.
"It is time for dinner," Narcissa Malfoy spoke very softly but every ear heard her.
A set of great willow wood doors opened on the right side of the room. Everyone filed in slowly and took their seats at the table.
Ginny looked at the beautiful room from the past. The plain unpainted wood walls whispered of happier times. A dozen windows that extended from floor to ceiling lined the walls on both sides of the room that were perpendicular to the doors they had entered through. Thick satin emerald drapes hung from the ceiling on each window. They were pulled back with silver tassel ropes to reveal a waning crescent moon withstars shining brightly. Ginny turned to see if the painting was still there. It was. A stunning picture of the Malfoy Family as it had once been hung on the wall behind where Lady Malfoy was sitting. Three blonde people were centered in the frame. All three wore black robes, all three with silvery blonde hair and steely blue-grey eyes, all three with nonplussed expressions, all three with pale skin, all three with refined aristocratic features. They were proud and pureblood. She was about to nudge Draco but noticed his eyes were already firmly locked on it. He stared. His family.
Lady Malfoy stood and lifted her glass and gold goblet. Red wine sparkled through the glass in the candlelight.
"Say the meal you wish to have and it will appear," she said sitting down in her high backed chair at the head of the table.
Everyone began ordering and Draco watched his mum. She didn't eat much. Lady Malfoy just seemed to pick at her food and push it around her plate to make it look like she had eaten when she hadn't.
Draco didn't feel very hungry either. He just pushed his food around as well until Ginny noticed what he was doing and quietly reproved him with a light touch to the arm and a glance.
Draco put his napkin on his plate. Everything disappeared and left the plate sparklingly clean. He sipped his wine casually and soon was slumped down in his chair with one arm flopped over one side and the other supported by the arm of the chair because that hand held his wine.
Ginny reached over and smacked his arm. Draco sat up straight and swirled his wine around in the glass.
Draco just sat listening to all the colloquies going on around him. He didn't join in any of them. He mostly watched his mum.
Some time later everyone exited the dining hall back to the grand ball room. A small podium had been erected on the far well. Two gorgeous chairs with green velvet padding were placed upon it.
Lady Malfoy and the minister both walked over and took their seats.
Everyone filed past the minister and Lady Malfoy paying their respects and bowing or curtsying.
"Pleasure to see you Miss Weasley," the minister greeted and gave a slight inclination of his head.
"Likewise Minister Snape," Ginny returned politely.
"Hello Ginny. I am very happy to see you again," Lady Malfoy said and gave a slight smile.
"I am happy to see you as well milady," Ginny said and curtsied deeper.
Draco smiled and bowed deeply to his mother.
Lady Malfoy began to shrewdly observe him after she greeted everyone. She gave a small elegant hand gesture to a small string orchestra. The instruments slowly lifted into the air and the bows moved to rest lightly on the strings. A silver harp sat alone and silent. A grand piano started with a few light notes and the instruments all tuned themselves. Seconds later a waltz began to float through the air.
A table of refreshments was set up along one wall and Draco and Ginny sat completely across the room from in and from Lady Malfoy.
Soon people moved out and began to waltz.
Lady Malfoy sat stiffly in her chair with her ankles crossed and her hands resting in her lap. She watched all the dancing couples but her mind was focused elsewhere. She couldn't help thinking how the boy who had been with Ginny remarkably resembled her late son and husband.
Ginny and Draco stood hidden in the shadows whispering.
"Draco, don't worry. Before I leave, you and your mum will have each other back I promise," Ginny said taking his hand a squeezing it. Draco wished Ginny could be with him the whole time.
He grinned nervously, "Thanks, Ginny. This means more to me than you could ever know. Will we still be friends once I'm officially a Malfoy again?"
"Of course. As long as you want to be my friend I will be yours. Even if you don't want to be friends with me I'll always be there for you Draco," Ginny said and she hugged Draco securely in her arms for a moment. She wished the night would never end and she could stay this way with him forever.
"Ginny will you dance with me?" Draco asked pulling away and offering her his hand.
Well there you have it Chapter XII. Please send me a nice review if you do not want the story abandoned.
I made Snape minister because he is a great war hero and that always seems to carry a great deal of weight with people and I like Snape and he is sexy and dark and mysterious...starts swooning. I feel much better now.