A/N - incredibly long a/n at the end. You may wish to read it anyway in case I stop posting.
> > > > > > > > > > >
Chapter 60
Ron stirred. He wasn't sure exactly what had roused him. He lay there, trying to figure it out. He could feel Pansy curled up beside him, but from the sound of her deep, even breathing she was fast asleep. He blinked his eyes open and realized they weren't entirely alone. He immediately spotted the candle at the side of the bed, held by a small elf that was currently trying to peek over the edge of the bed, though it was a bit short for the job.
"What ya need?" Ron asked groggily, keeping his voice low.
The elf's eyes darted up, noticing he was awake for the first time. He quickly backed away from the bed, bowing his head in apology. "Begging your forgiveness sir." He quickly said. "Vincent is not meaning to be waking you, sir. Vincent is just looking for his master."
Ron sat up, careful not to wake Pansy. "What ya need Blaise for?" he asked, ruffling his fingers through his hair.
"Vincent is supposed to be waking master early so master can check on the wedding preparations."
"Ah. Ok. I'll tell him."
Vincent darted his eyes around, obviously still wondering where his master was. Ron wasn't sure if he even knew about the little closet room, and didn't want to clue him in in case Blaise wanted it to stay a secret.
"I know where he is. I'll go tell him right now. I got it, really."
Vincent reluctantly nodded and scurried out.
Ron got up, shivering as the cool air hit him. It had been rather warm and cozy cuddled up to Pansy. He grabbed up his wand and started across the room, the icy coldness of the floor urging him to move a bit more quickly. He paused long enough to put several logs in the fireplace and cast a softly muttered fire spell on them (Blaise had assured them using magic was alright on his grounds). They caught and the fire quickly spread.
That done, he tucked away his wand and went to the closet. He opened the door and went in, walking straight back to where the secret door was hidden. He brushed his fingers over the unicorn and the panel popped open, just as it had before. When he entered the little room, the 'music' assailed him once again. It sounded like a different band at least. The music was more melodic, but the singer's voice was almost rough, and the lyrics had a definite edge of defiant anger to them.
Blaise was cuddled down in the blanket Ron had put on him, not much more than a bit of black hair showing. Ron crouched down next to the cushions, shifting the blanket down a bit. Blaise looked so completely shaggable it was all he could do to keep from slipping out of his skivvies and giving him a proper wake up call!
After a moment of fighting the urge, he shifted around and settled down next to Blaise, looping his arm around his waist and gently pulling Blaise closer, keeping the blanket between them. Blaise sighed happily, leaning back against him without waking. Ron grinned, then started gently kissing his neck and shoulder.
Blaise shivered and let out a moan that was nearly inaudible, despite the relative lull in the pulsing music. Encouraged, Ron slipped his hand under the covers, running it down Blaise's still naked body. Blaise let out a gasp and woke immediately as Ron's hand trailed down his stomach. Blaise seized his hand, stopping it, then he blinked around, trying to get oriented.
Ron withdrew his hand as Blaise released it, sitting abruptly and looking around at him dazedly.
"Ron?" He asked in surprise, snatching an odd little black device off a nearby shelf, pointing it at the source of the music. He pressed a button and the room instantly fell silent. He set the device back on the shelf in front of an impressive citrine crystal and scrubbed his fingers through his already tousled hair, looking over at Ron in askance, still looking rather tired and groggy. "What the Hell are you doing in here? How'd you even find this place?"
Ron sat up, his cheeks coloring slightly. "Sorry... I kind of stumbled across it last night when I went looking for you..."
Blaise sighed, "'s ok." he said, folding his legs up and casually pulling a small pillow into his lap. "'s just no one's ever been in here but me. Mum's never even been in here. She knows it's here of course. She was bound to notice when my closet lost a significant amount of room. Father was thankfully oblivious, as usual. I put the muggle clothes over the entrance key because I knew he'd never deign to touch such things. He only let me keep them because muggle clothing is necessary on some occasions, like the Quidditch world cup. Should have known they would actually draw your attention though..." He said with a little smirk.
Ron grinned. "Is that Muggle music?" he asked, looking towards the odd device on the trunk.
Blaise grinned. "Ya... Draco and I spent a couple of days in Muggle London once..."
"Draco went into Muggle London?" Ron asked, shocked. Draco had always given every appearance of hating Muggles with a passion.
Blaise's grin widened. "I bet him he couldn't handle being in the Muggle world without magic for even a day. He bet I couldn't either... it went back and forth for a bit and we ended up spending like four days there. Hung around some of their music shops quite a bit, hit a couple clothing stores of course... had a bit of a laugh going through their 'electronics' stores... actually it's pretty amazing what they've been able to do without magic. I mean talk about overcoming a handicap! Their hotels aren't bad either... and bloody Hell do those Muggles know how to party!" He chuckled, gazing sightlessly, obviously lost in the memory. He sighed happily, "Glad Draco talked me into wearing one of those bloody contraceptive rings for the trip, though. Trying to cast contraceptive spells on them while they weren't looking would have been a real pain... not to mention the Ministry would have been able to detect us using magic off our own land."
Ron's eyes widened. "You shagged Muggles?"
Blaise rolled his eyes. "We were there for four days! Of course we shagged Muggles! Some of them are quite open minded actually..." He said with a mischievous grin.
"Draco shagged Muggles too?" Ron asked, shocked to his very core.
Blaise sighed blissfully. "Yep. We even shared one of them in fact. This really hot girl who had to be at least nineteen... and come to think of it, she had red hair. I think we both have a bit of a thing for redheads." he said with a snicker. Then he let out a little sigh of longing, "Too bad he wouldn't even strip until I turned the lights off. I would have really liked watching him. Probably about as close as I'll ever get to shagging him." he said wistfully.
Ron smirked. "You still have it bad for Draco, eh?"
Blaise rolled his eyes. "I don't want to be his boyfriend or anything. I just... I mean for one thing I know how intense he is in the sack and I'd really like to give him a try. I mean I woke up while he was giving her another go later... well, there was no chance I could have slept through that, I mean honestly! You should have heard that girl!" He said, letting out a little groan. He pushed the cushion in his lap back down, blushing slightly, then looked over at Ron with a smirk. "Oh come on... don't try to tell me you've never wanted to give your best mate a good shag!"
Ron blushed and grinned. "Point taken."
Blaise sighed, shifting over and laying his head in Ron's lap. "Actually, I think the desire is more about intimacy than sex really..." He said thoughtfully. He sighed again, then decided it was time for a change in subject, "So... how do you like my meditation room?"
Ron blinked, then let out a laugh, looking around, "This is your meditation room?"
"Of course. What better place?" Blaise said, looking up at him questioningly.
"Well... ok... I mean the crystals I can understand... but how is that... music meditative?"
Blaise chuckled, "It's cathartic."
"But it sounds so... angry!"
"It helps to know there are people out there who's lives are just as fucked up as mine. The way they vent their anger and pain... in a way just listening to it helps me vent my own. Sometimes I just have to crank it up and immerse myself in it. When the music fills my mind all I can feel is their emotions... and for a while at least, I can forget my own..."
Ron looked down at him, stroking his hand tenderly down Blaise's cheek. "Why are you angry and hurting?" He asked softly.
Blaise shifted his eyes away from him, but didn't deny it.
"Just tell me, Blaise! Pansy and I are both worried about you. We love you and nothing you say is going to change that. Why do you feel you have to keep secrets from us? Whatever it is, we can handle it. Just trust us."
Blaise's eyes teared up. He finally let out a deep sigh, "It's not going away." He said softly.
Ron blinked, "What isn't going away?"
"My strength and this ruddy Re'em blood shite. Snape checked. It's barely gone down at all! It could be months or even longer before I'm back to normal... or I may never be!" He said, his voice tinged with anguish. "Snape is going to take me to St. Mungo's tomorrow to see if there's anything they can do... but I could tell from the look in his eyes that there's little chance they will be able to tell me more than he has."
Ron looked down at him in shock. He knew his own strength had been waning far faster than Blaise's, but he hadn't even considered the possibility that Blaise's wasn't going away at all!
"I love you, Ron... you know I do..." Blaise said, turning on his side and nuzzling against him, "But living with the constant fear of hurting Pansy is killing me. I mean not shagging Pansy... it's like the sun not rising..." He said, tears spilling from his eyes. "I don't know how much longer I can go on seeing that longing in her eyes and knowing I can never fulfill it. I noticed my strength didn't seem to be waning, though your obviously was... that's why I stopped shagging you. I figured at the very least it was going to take a bit longer than anticipated to wear off, and I wanted at least one of us to be able to shag her... Maybe... if it goes away from you... maybe you two should just be together..."
"WHAT?" Ron said, taken aback.
Blaise sighed, "It's not like I can shag either of you in my current condition. Why should you have to deal with being with someone who can never be with you? It'd be best if you two just went it on your own... it would save you a lot of heartache... I mean I'd give you all the money you needed and visit the baby and all..."
"You selfish bastard!"
They both looked over in surprise as Pansy rose from where she'd been crouching and listening unnoticed in the doorway. She shoved the door the rest of the way open and stormed in. Blaise sat up, then blinked, stunned as her hand whipped out, slapping him soundly across the cheek.
"Who do you think you are, deciding who I should love?" She demanded angrily.
"I just... it would be best..." Blaise stammered.
"I'll decide what's best for me, thank you very much!" Pansy snapped. She shoved him hard in the chest, knocking him back against the cushions.
Before he could even react, she had straddled him, dropping down on top of him and kissing him passionately. They quickly settled down into an ardent snogging session. It was a few minutes before she finally let up a bit. She sighed, nuzzling up against him. "When are you going to realize that I love more than that wonderful hampton of yours?" She asked with a smirk.
"True..." Blaise said thoughtfully. "You also love my hands and tongue... and I believe you've mentioned you think I have a great arse..."
She chuckled, nipping at his neck. "True, but I love more than that as well. I love you, my silly little lummox! How many times do I have to tell you that? And I'm not about to let you run off just because you're a bit sexually impaired. So you can't shag me right now... ok, I can't honestly say I'm not disappointed, but that doesn't mean I want to leave you! We'll find a way around this sooner or later, and I'm willing to wait. Luckily I shagged you about twenty times at that party, so I think I can hold out for a little while..." She said with a mischievous smirk.
He blinked. "You had him show you memories of being shagged by me?" he asked, a bit stunned. He was sure she would have gone for something more exotic or at least people she hadn't been able to bed yet...
Her smirk widened. "Well... yes... and I actually was you a couple of times... I must say, you are a damn lucky boy! I'm an absolutely brilliant shag!"
He let out a laugh, "You shagged yourself?"
She giggled and nodded, then affected a serious, thoughtful look. "Is that technically masturbating?"
He sighed and snuggled up to her, "There that wanton little witch I love so..." He murmured.
She kissed him on the nose, then smirked again. "Well, so I guess I know what you're missing out on... so I can see why you're so upset... but don't worry, we're not going to have to be practically celibate much longer..." She looked up, then smirked as she eyed Ron, who had been sitting by silently. "Ron will just have to be the one doing all the shagging!" She giggled.
Ron's eyes went wide, then he blushed and grinned. Once his extra strength was gone he would indeed be the only one who could shag whomever he wanted in this little group. He liked having Blaise shag him, but he got the feeling he was soon going to be a bit too preoccupied to dwell on that much...
> > > > > > > > > > >
Draco woke to overly bright sunlight and a particularly loud and obnoxious bird twittering away right outside the window. He grumbled, grabbing up his wand and hitting the window with a silencing spell. The bird kept right on opening its beak, but he was blissfully unable to hear it.
He set his wand back down, then turned away from the window. He sighed. He couldn't get back to sleep. Actually, he wasn't even sure he wanted to. His dreams had been disjointed and disturbing. He still hadn't thought of an argument that would be good enough to keep the woman from aborting his tiny sibling. Even he had to admit that she had every right to want it gone, and he wasn't even sure he could bring himself to ask it of the woman. She'd been through so much already. If only he could just find some way for it to survive without having to impose on the woman... but he'd never heard of a spell that could do that.
He sighed again, then opened his eyes. Ginny was laying there, still quite soundly asleep. The sunlight had starting to creep through the window and had found her, lighting up her rich red hair like a halo. A warm feeling started in his chest as he watched her sleep.
His eyes widened as he suddenly realized what day it was. A rush of tingling pleasure flowed through his entire body as a brilliant smile slid over his lips. By dusk, this ravishing creature would be his once and for all. This thought alone was enough to wash all the worries and bad thoughts from his mind.
He shifted over closer, slipping his arm around her and gently kissing her soft, warm lips. Her eyes blinked open and she smirked against him, then her eyes fluttered back shut as he deepened the kiss.
After a few moments he eased up some, then broke then kiss, looking down at her adoringly. "And how is my blushing bride on this glorious morning?" He asked softly.
Her eyes widened slightly as she obviously just remembered what day it was as well. She let out a happy, contented sigh. "You think Dumbledore could just meet us in the dining room and get it over with now so we could get to the consummating and living happily ever after?" She asked with an impish smirk.
Draco laughed. "Not bloody likely! Patience, love. Mother would kill me if I tried to push it through! She's probably got the entire day planned..."
They looked over as there was a little knock on the door, followed almost immediately by it opening.
"Oh good! You is being awake already." Diamond squeaked happily, "Very good... Diamond is bringing you your robe. Diamond is having to work on the wedding clothes, but the other house elves is waiting for you. Hurry hurry! We is having lots to do!"
Ginny looked a bit stunned as the diminutive elf stood on her tiptoes to deposit a neatly folded and immaculate white robe on the side of the bed. "But... but the wedding isn't until five this evening!"
"Yes indeed!" Diamond said, nodding so vigorously her ears flapped slightly. "I is knowing we should have been starting earlier, but I was wanting you to be well rested, so I is giving you a bit of a lie-in, but now we really must be getting you ready!"
Draco smirked, giving Ginny another lingering kiss, then rolling off of her. "Mustn't keep Diamond waiting. You run along. I wager I'll be seeing you again today." He said with a smirk.
Ginny got up and put on the robe, tying it in front. Diamond then grabbed ahold of the trailing ends of the tie and started leading her off as if she were on a leash. She looked back at Draco with a little grin and waved goodbye as Diamond led her briskly out the door.
"Until then, I think I'll just go take a very long, very cold shower." Draco muttered ruefully to himself when she'd gone.
> > > > > > > > > > >
Hermione looked up as she heard someone at the door. She spotted Pansy standing there, looking hesitant. She blushed, quickly shifting away from Snape and standing. "Um... I just remembered I was going to help Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen..." She said, sensing Pansy's desire for a private word with her father.
Snape looked over, noting Pansy as well. He gave Hermione a nod and a little smile.
Pansy watched her go, then let the door drift shut once more. The others had gone out for another Quidditch match (she'd made excuses to stay behind), and the other adults were off working on wedding preparations, so they were alone in the sitting room.
"Something on your mind?" Snape asked gently, seeing her troubled expression.
Pansy came over, sitting down beside him on the couch. She sat there in uneasy silence for a few moments, unsure where to even begin.
"I imagine this is about your boyfriends?" Snape asked, making her blush and nod. "I tested young Mr. Weasley earlier. He should be back down to a safe level by this evening."
She looked up, surprised. "This evening? I didn't expect it to be so soon. I mean he still seems so strong..."
"Yes, well his level never went over about four hundred. He'll probably still have some lingering increased strength, and in fact it wouldn't be unheard of for him to keep a small portion of it permanently, but he won't be passing on enough essence to be worrying about. He was down to about a hundred and fifty this morning, but the last bit generally burns off quickly, especially if he remains active. I suspect that's why he suggested that Quidditch match." He said with a rueful smirk.
Pansy furrowed her brow. "What's Blaise's level?"
Snape's smirk flowed away and he looked hesitant.
She sighed. "He's already told us what you said the other day about it taking a lot longer."
"Ah... well yes, his level is much higher. Since his initial testing, he has only managed to drop by about two hundred. I'm afraid he's still hovering around forty five hundred."
Her eyes went wide. "But Ron seemed just as strong as Blaise before! How could Blaise have had more than ten times the amount in him and not been stronger?"
"Well, the human body can only have its strength increased so much. Maximum strength is achieved at around three hundred to three fifty. Any more than that is just excess. If it continued to increase despite bodily limits, Blaise would be crushing everything he touched, so be thankful."
Pansy shivered, trying to imagine Blaise ten times as strong as he already was. The thought was indeed frightening. She looked over at Snape again, "Is it going to go away?" She asked softly. "Please tell me the truth."
He looked at her for a long moment before answering, "I'm not sure." He said with a sigh, "Usually the body will recognize it as foreign and flush it out within a week, no matter what the concentration. For some reason, his body doesn't seem to recognize the foreign aspect of it. It seems intent on retaining its strength. What he has... passed on so far is just the normal distribution of it in his bodily fluids. Even his saliva is most likely carrying some of it." He smirked as her eyes widened. "Don't worry, I very much doubt it is in a concentration that poses any kind of danger. I'm not going to tell you to stop kissing him."
Pansy released the breath she'd been holding. Then she looked puzzled. "But you said Ron had four hundred in him, but Blaise's level had only gone down by two hundred... how could Ron have gotten more than Blaise has gone down?"
Snape gave her a little smile. "You catch on quick. My tests only measure what's in their bloodstream. I suspect he started storing it in his tissues before he was even stable enough for me to test him the first time. That's very unusual for Re'em blood, but not unheard of in other substances. Usually it just gets in the bloodstream and stays there until the kidneys filter it out or it is secreted in other bodily fluids. The blood distributes it to the muscles like it would oxygen and it enhances the muscle until the blood carries it away again. The body then filters it out and it's gone within a couple of days. Even with as high a concentration as the tests showed he had, which I'll admit I've never heard of any person achieving before, it shouldn't have taken more than a week... a week and a half on the outside. But if his body has accepted it and it has gone deeper, settling into his bones..." He took a deep breath and sighed it out. "As I said, it's somewhat common for a relatively small increase in strength to remain, especially if the person used their strength a great deal, thus acclimating their muscles, but... I'm sorry to say, Blaise may retain the full extent of the strength, and it may not go away. Not for years at the very least. Between the test I did yesterday and the one today, the reduction was barely measurable, and to be honest, there's no way for me to be sure that even that amount has actually been eliminated. Perhaps he just stored away that much more. With the tests I have, there's no way for me to tell how much his body truly holds."
Pansy looked away, but he caught a glimpse of a distinct wateriness in her eyes.
He sighed and took her hand in his, patting it comfortingly with his other hand. "Even if it doesn't go away... it's still possible, and rather probable actually, that his body will stop secreting the essence at some point, and then he'll just have to learn to control his strength. I can't tell you it will be easy... for any of you actually... but he should be able to return to having a normal life eventually, even in that scenario. He just has to learn to restrain it properly. He's already doing a rather good job of it actually. I haven't seen him hurt anyone unintentionally. Well, other than Draco at first, but he didn't know then."
She looked over at him warily, making sure he wasn't just saying it to make her feel better. She sighed, then shifted over, resting her head on his shoulder. "I just want my Blaise back..." She said sadly.
"I know..." He said gently, "I'll do what I can."
> > > > > > > > > > >
"Hermione..."
Hermione turned, looking over in surprise as Narcissa approached her with a little smile on her face.
"Yes?" She asked, setting aside the sprig of flowers she had been about to add to the centerpiece she had been arranging for the table.
Narcissa looked it over, "That's lovely, dear."
Hermione's cheeks tinged slightly, "Oh... um... thanks..." She said a bit awkwardly. She hadn't expected a compliment from her. She had always seemed so aloof and... well, frigid. But then Lucius had been at her side when she had seen her before.
"Should have known Molly would have put you to work." She leaned a bit closer, lowering her voice and glancing over to make sure Molly wasn't within hearing distance. "She's had me in the hall we're preparing for the wedding. I've been casting since breakfast!"
Hermione smiled at her. "How is it coming along?"
"Just about done. At least I hope it is! They get any more elaborate and we won't want to even go in there for fear we'll ruin it!" She straightened a bit as Molly came over to look through the extensive spice cabinet nearby. "Well, I was just helping Diamond locate you. She's been searching high and low."
"Oh! I forgot! Sorry!" Hermione said, darting a glance over at the clock. She was about five minutes late for her robe fitting.
"Diamond went to look where the other elves said they'd seen you and Severus earlier. To be honest, I expected you to still be with him." She said with a little smirk.
Hermione's cheek got a shade darker. It was strange having everyone know about her and Snape. They had kept it such a closely guarded secret for so long it would take some getting used to not to have to hide it anymore. Well, at least while they were at the Manor. "Yes... well... Pansy looked as if she wanted a bit of alone time with him, so I figured I'd make myself useful. I'm not much into playing Quidditch..."
"Why would Pansy want 'alone time' with Severus?" Molly asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Hermione's eyes widened as she realized Molly didn't know about Snape and Pansy. She glanced over at Narcissa and Delse, who had started over curiously upon hearing the slight tension in Molly's voice. It was blatantly obvious that none of them knew. Her jaw dropped slightly as she realized perhaps she'd said too much. She had no idea how 'public' they wanted that knowledge to be at the moment. "Um..." She said, feeling decidedly nervous as all three women stared at her expectantly.
"Why wouldn't she want alone time with me?"
Hermione turned and let out a sigh of relief as Snape entered the room with Pansy at his side and trailed by a small house elf that she assumed was most likely Diamond.
"Is it so hard to believe others might actually seek out my presence now and then?" Snape asked with a little smirk.
"I just don't see why she would have to be alone in 'your presence'." Molly said, eyeing him a bit warily. They had never gotten along well, and his relationship with Hermione, though she had to retain the appearance of being perfectly fine with it, seemed to confirm suspicions she had long held about his character.
Pansy glanced between the two, sensing the long-standing tension and a little mischievous smirk slid across her lips, but then she quickly hid it, looking completely serious once again. "Oh... well I've just been having some issues with my love life lately, what with this whole Re'em blood thing. Isn't safe for me to be with either of my boyfriends right now, and it was obviously making me a bit anxious... but Snape was nice enough to help me sort out some of my issues..." She said, beaming up at Snape, who smirked back. She moved over and wrapped an arm around his waist, nestling her cheek against his shoulder affectionately. "Thank you so much... it really helped..." She sighed happily, then stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
Molly looked thoroughly scandalized, but at the same time was obvious afraid to blow up at him for fear of upsetting Hermione or that word would get back to Kulia and she'd be upset.
Snape wrapped his arm around Pansy's shoulders and they watched Molly's reaction with obvious relish. He enjoyed it for a moment longer before letting out a little chuckle. "We were just talking, Molly."
Molly narrowed her eyes suspiciously, obviously not buying a word of it. "I see. She just likes chatting with her teachers privately about her love life...?"
He smirked. "She's my daughter, Molly." he said softly.
Molly's jaw dropped, her eyes going round.
"Your daughter?" Delse asked, openly shocked.
"Yes... we just found out a couple of days ago actually. Fudge performed a Lineage spell. Came as a bit of a shock to everyone involved, believe me... but then..." He looked down at Pansy, "I've probably been more of a father to her than Sulla ever was since she came to Hogwarts, so I don't think it will be that difficult a transition..." Pansy grinned at him and hugged him tighter.
Delse let out a happy laugh, hurrying over to hug him as well. "We're going to be family!"
Snape returned the hug, but kept watching Molly as his smirk widened. She was still staring at him in numb shock. "Yes... one big happy family... isn't that wonderful?"
> > > > > > > > > > >
Ginny looked over and blushed as she heard an appreciative whistle. Blaise came to a stop a couple of feet away, looking her over as Diamond worked diligently on the trim of her dress. "Absolutely brilliant, Diamond." he said with candor, "Draco is one lucky bastard!"
Ginny blushed brightly. Even Diamond's cheeks looked to have gotten a slight blush, though she didn't so much as look up from her work.
"If he ever forgets that, you know where to come!" He said roguishly, then chuckled. "Course I mean that in an entirely brotherly way..." He said with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes, though her blush did deepen. "Sure you do, Blaise." she said sarcastically.
He sobered slightly, "All kidding aside, you are probably about the only lovely young lady who never has to worry about me. No offense of course, but I wouldn't touch Draco's girl with a ten foot... um.. wand." He finished with an impish grin.
She chuckled, "What are you doing here anyway? I doubt you broke through Diamond's privacy wards just to get a sneak peek at my dress..."
"Ah yes, well you appear to have missed lunch, so I brought something. It wouldn't do to have the bride passing out from hunger while walking down the aisle..." He said, turning a bit and indicating the tray of exquisitely arranged fruits and finger foods that Vincent was setting on a nearby side table. "Draco would have brought it himself, but he wanted to live to see his own wedding... which might not have happened if Narcissa had found him anywhere near you and that precious dress!" He said chuckling, "She's a force to be reckoned with when she's sober!"
Vincent looked decidedly uncomfortable now that the tray was deposited and his duty done. He started drifting towards the door, but Blaise would have none of it, snapping his fingers to catch his attention and waving him over. Vincent hesitantly scampered over, then effectively disappeared behind Blaise's legs.
Blaise rolled his eyes. He waited a moment as Diamond finished the trim of the dress, her tiny fingers working with amazing speed and expertise, then cleared his throat as she gathered up her supplies. Diamond shot a glance at him, then snatched up a spare length of lace and stood, looking over at him.
"Is you needing something, sir?" She asked, noting that his eyes were on her.
"I realize this must be an awful lot of work for one elf, and I'm sorry I didn't think to do this sooner... but I've brought you some help..."
Vincent was peeking around Blaise's legs, staring up at his master in open shock, then darting a glance over at Diamond, his cheeks definitely getting darker.
"Diamond can manage, sir..." Diamond said as she put her things back on the low table obviously put there specifically for her supplies.
"Oh, but I insist. Especially since the last of the guests have just arrived! There appears to be a couple more than we planned on, and with only a couple of hours left it's going to be a rather tall order for a lone elf. In fact, if you need more than Vincent, just say the word. He's just my first pick for the job." Blaise said, reaching around and shoving Vincent out into view, then crouching down behind him, resting his hands on his shoulders to keep him still (and to keep him from escaping!). "This is Vincent. He's a very capable helper... and very artistic..."
Diamond looked up, blinking her large eyes at him, then glancing at Vincent. That was probably not a word she'd heard used to described any house elf other than herself.
"He likes to paint." Blaise continued, seeing he'd caught her interest. "You might have seen one of his paintings around actually... I believe it's in the suite you and Narcissa are staying in... a great big dragon and boy who happens to look a bit like me." he said with a smirk.
Diamond's eyes lit up as she obviously remembered the one he was talking about. She looked over at Vincent appraisingly.
Vincent's eyes were about as wide as they could get. He twisted around in Blaise's grasp, trying to look at Blaise, "Master is putting up my painting?" He asked in a horrified voice. "But it is not being nearly good enough to be hanging! Vincent is just a house elf! He is not making real paintings!"
Blaise gave a little snort and rolled his eyes. "I don't care what species you are, Vincent, you're good. You gave me the painting and I chose where I wanted to hang it. I don't recall any requirements coming with it."
Vincent's ears drooped and he fixed his eyes on the floor. "Begging your forgiveness, master. Vincent is wrong to be questioning you..."
"Oh stop!" Blaise said with a smirk, "Now I want you to help Diamond here with whatever she needs, got it?"
Vincent was practically trembling with nervousness as he looked timidly up at Diamond, but he nodded his head obediently.
Blaise smirked, then looked back over at Diamond. "That's settled then. He's all yours, Diamond. If there is anything you need, anything at all, Vincent's your man." He said, releasing him and rising. Vincent looked up at him with trepidation. Blaise just smirked again, "Make me proud, little man." He said warmly, patting him on the head, then turned and left without another word.
> > > > > > > > > > >
Draco stared up sightlessly at the canopy above him, absently fingering the fine material of the suit Diamond had fashioned for him. His calm, sedate exterior was in complete contrast to what was going on inside his mind. He held up his hand, noting the way it was trembling and tried to will it to stop. He gave up after a minute and dropped it back onto his stomach, sighing deeply.
"You should not be laying down, sir. You will be wrinkling your finery."
Draco started, his eyes darting over to the door. He took a deep breath and let it slowly out, mentally willing himself to calm down. "You should know better than that, Dobby. Like Diamond would make a garment she hadn't thoroughly charmed against wrinkling, tearing, getting dirty, or anything else she could think of. What do you want?"
Dobby hesitantly edged into the room more. "Dobby is just wanting to see you..." He said in a quavering voice. When Draco just went back to staring up into space, not telling him to go away, Dobby grew bolder and went up to the side of the bed, peering over it at him. "Little mas..." Dobby clapped a hand over his mouth, looking embarrassed for his near slip.
Draco looked over at him for a moment as Dobby stood there, hand over mouth and apparently at a loss for what to say, then rolled his eyes. "My name's Draco, Dobby. You're not mine anymore."
Dobby's eyes were wide and he trembled slightly, pulling his hand away from his mouth hesitantly, "Draco..." He said in a quavering squeak, as if sure speaking his old master's first name aloud would get him smitten from some unseen force. When nothing happened, Dobby straightened, "Draco." He said more firmly.
"Yes. Wonderful. You've mastered my name. Now will you tell me what you want?" Draco asked in a bored voice.
"Dobby is just wondering how... Draco is doing, sir. You was looking... off."
Draco sighed, turning his head the other way. "I'm fine."
Dobby bit his lip, watching Draco worriedly. He seemed to take a moment to gird himself, then went over to the bedside table and tapped it on the side. Two steps, made for when the house elves were cleaning and had need to get on the bed, popped out. He used them to clamber up onto the bed, then hesitantly eased closer to Draco, watching him carefully for any indication he wanted him to go away. He crouched down once he had gotten near, watching Draco. He reached out, touching Draco's hand, noting the slight trembling. Even when he was younger, Draco had rarely given any outward indication of what he was feeling inside except in the most extreme cases. Even something so apparently minor as a tremble was grounds for alarm in Dobby's experience.
"Is Draco nervous about getting married?" He asked softly.
"No!" Draco snapped immediately and vehemently.
Dobby drew back slightly, but Draco didn't lash out at him as he once might have. "Then what is being the matter, sir?" He asked gently.
Draco lay there in silence for so long Dobby didn't think he was going to answer. Then he let out a soft sigh. "Father."
Dobby's eyes widened and he drew back a bit more, his eyes darting around fearfully, searching the shadows for his dreaded ex-master.
Draco caught the furtive look and gave a little snort of amusement. "He's not here, Dobby." he said, then the amusement in his expression died. "But I keep expecting him to be. It seems the sole purpose for his existence is to spread misery and pain..."
"You is not being your father, sir." Dobby said gently.
Draco flashed him a little smirk, then sat up. "I know that. That's not it either. It's just... He's managed to ruin everything worth having in my life so far. I keep expecting him to break in at any moment and do something horrific... To hurt these people, my new family... or Ginevra, the only woman I ever have, or ever will love... It gets to feeling like every minute that passes, he's somehow that much closer to snatching it all away from me. Good things just don't happen to me. He makes sure of that." he said with a slight ache creeping into his voice.
Dobby looked close to tears. "He will not be stopping this wedding, sir. Dobby will not be letting him!" He said firmly.
Draco let out a little snort. "No offense Dobby, but standing up to father has never been your strong suit."
Draco rose up, standing very stiffly. "Dobby is not his house elf anymore! If he is trying to be stopping this wedding, Dobby will be reminding him of that!" He said, defiant anger creeping into his normally submissive voice.
A smile tugged at the side of Draco's mouth. He reached out and slipped his arm around Dobby, pulling him closer. Dobby was wary, but didn't resist. His eyes went wide in shock as Draco wrapped his arms around him, hugging him, his cheek coming to rest against Dobby's shoulder. "I've missed you..." He admitted, his voice barely a whisper.
Dobby's lower lip quivered, but he refused to let himself cry. For a moment it was like it was when Draco was small... no more than a toddler... before his father had stolen the light from his eyes and taught him that emotions were weaknesses to be eliminated. Dobby closed his big eyes, holding Draco and gently stroking his hair as he had when he was still that happy, innocent little child. "Dobby is missing you too..." He said achingly.
After a moment, Draco spoke again softly. "If you're ever between employers again... I mean... I'm getting married... I can't imagine children will be too far behind..."
Dobby drew back, his big eyes springing open. He stared at Draco for a long moment, his lower lip quivering once again. "But... but Dobby is a free elf... I... I is not wanting..." he trailed off, his voice bordering on regretful.
Draco rolled his eyes, his emotionless facade once again in place. "Oh please! You were a piss poor excuse for a slave. Going off and warning Potter!" He said with a hint of disgust, getting up and going over to the full length mirror, straightening his suit and looking it over. "And that bludger! You very nearly got me with that bloody thing, you know!"
Dobby wilted, staring down at his feet. "Dobby was not meaning to get you, sir! Never you..." He said earnestly.
Draco glanced over at him, "Then again, bludgeoning Potter wasn't such a bad idea. Seeing him laying there in pain was amusing at least. Too bad he caught the bloody snitch first... and while father was there..." He winced at the memory of what had followed. Father had been most... displeased. He had been hoping to hide out in the Hospital wing until his father had left, but Pomfrey had given him the boot too quickly, giving his father a good twenty minutes before he had to leave for a meeting to express his disappointment... "Maybe the bludger wouldn't have been too bad actually..." He muttered darkly.
Dobby winced as well. He well knew what had befallen Draco whenever he lost to Harry, and he had been there that particular day, obviously. Lucius had suspected Dobby's hand in the incident, though he couldn't be sure... still, he'd made a point of making Dobby watch.
Dobby glanced up at him in confusion, "But if Dobby was so bad... why is you saying...?"
"I never said I wanted to own you, Dobby!" He said irritably. He shifted a bit uneasily, and after a moment he continued, but in a much more subdued tone. "I just... would like someone to be there that I could trust to help us out when we needed it. Chores and cooking and such, the other elves are fine for that... but..." He trailed off.
Dobby wrung his hands, sorely tempted, but obviously still very hesitant to even consider it.
Draco turned, looking him over. "One thing I can promise you... I will never lay a hand on my children! I refuse to let them live in fear of me." The seriousness on his face eased a bit, his mouth turning up a bit at the edge, "So as you can imagine, they'll probably be the world's most spoiled brats, and Ginny and I will need all the help we can get!"
Dobby gave him a shy little grin.
"Awww! That was so sweet!" Blaise said, strolling in and flopping down on the bed, startling Dobby.
Draco sighed irritably, "Bloody Hell Zabini! How long have you been spying on us?"
"For a fair bit... I do hope this comes out... there looked to be enough light, even without the flash..." He said, fiddling with the muggle camera in his hands.
Draco's pale cheeks flushed. "That's it! Either tell your bloody elves to stop oiling those bloody hinges so well or I'm putting bells on the bloody doors!"
Blaise actually giggled. "They do oil them on a regular basis, but actually the real secret is the permanent silencing spells cast directly on all of the hinges..."
Draco rolled his eyes, then glanced over at Dobby. "You best go get dressed before Diamond plays merry hell!"
Dobby nodded fervently, then hopped off the bed and scampered out of the room.
"So, you here for a specific reason, or just to bug me?" Draco asked, snatching up his brush and starting in on his unruly hair.
"Just to bug you." Blaise said flippantly with a smirk. Then he sighed letting the smirk fade away, "Ok, to tell the truth, I guess there is something that's been nagging at me... why didn't you tell me you were going to the Hospital tomorrow?"
The brush in Draco's hand froze for a moment, then continued on as if it had never been interrupted. "How did you find out about that?" He asked, his face and voice studiously indifferent.
"I'm going with you. Snape told me yesterday."
Draco closed his eyes and let out an irritated growl. "I'm not a bloody child! I don't need anyone to hold my hand! It isn't a big deal!"
Blaise sat up on the bed, eyeing him shrewdly, "What isn't a big deal?"
Draco lowered the brush, looking around at him in surprise. It was obvious by the look of concern on Blaise's face that he really didn't know. Draco cursed himself silently. He shouldn't have assumed Snape would have told someone Draco's private business, even Blaise. Snape never had before. But he had assumed and spoken rashly, and it was quite obvious there was absolutely no way to brush it off as unimportant now. He quickly diverted the conversation, "Why are you going then?"
"Snape wants them to have a look at me. Why are you going?"
"Have a look at you? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing life threatening... except perhaps to those around me..." He said dismissingly, "Now are you going to tell me or do I have to hurt you? I can still toss a Hippogriff around like a quaffle, so I suggest you start talking." Blaise said, folding his arms across his chest, his face more serious than Draco had ever seen it.
Draco sighed resignedly, then gave him a brief overview of the situation. Blaise had actually already heard about the incident, though not in any great detail. Everyone had. It had been in that morning's Daily Prophet, but then you usually had to take anything that paper wrote with a grain of salt. They hadn't shown the paper to Draco or Ginny though. No use upsetting them today of all days.
Blaise stared at him in silence for a moment, then stood up, crossing the room to stand behind him. Draco tensed, expecting him to hug him and get all emotional. Blaise reached his arms around him, but just straightened Draco's collar while looking in the mirror over his shoulder. "You really want a sibling, huh?" He asked gently, picking a small feather from the down pillow from Draco's collar and straightening the material across his shoulders, though it didn't really need it.
Draco dropped his eyes. "It doesn't really matter I guess. She doesn't sound very likely to agree to it. If it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be. It's not like I'm going to tie the poor woman down and force her to play incubator." He said, trying to keep the sorrow out of his voice. He wasn't completely successful.
Blaise rested his head on Draco's shoulder, watching him in the mirror. "I could be your brother." He offered softly.
Draco sighed and closed his eyes, "Blaise... you don't understand... it's not just... I mean..." He sighed again, gathering his thoughts, "I'm shortly going to have six brothers through Ginny. It's... it's not in-laws or adopted siblings that I was looking for... I mean..." He turned, looking at Blaise face to face, "I have no doubt you would be the greatest brother a bloke could ever ask for... but... this baby shares the same blood as me..." He seemed to be getting a bit frustrated at his own inability to articulate his feelings. Blaise just stood by, waiting patiently.
At length, Draco met his eyes again. "It's like me... fathered by the same fucked up, demented excuse for a man... and mother won't talk about it, but probably conceived in a similar fashion as well... the circumstances of its existence are beyond its control... and yet it is going to be held accountable for our father's actions. I just... I feel like I need to protect it... to give it a chance as I was given a chance..." He dropped his eyes then, turning back to the mirror and fussing with his clothing distractedly, "It's most likely a lost cause anyway. Just one more innocent life lost... one more notch for father." He muttered darkly.
Blaise skirted around, slipping between Draco and his reflection. He stared at him for a long moment. "I believe I was promised one hug..." He said with a little smile, "It's true I still have my strength, but I'd like to cash in my voucher anyway. I promise not to hurt you."
Draco rolled his eyes, but reached out and pulled him into a hug, which Blaise returned gently, as promised. He'd never have admitted it, even to Blaise, but at this point he desperately needed one. He couldn't wait until this day was over. He'd never felt so emotionally unstable in his whole life. It felt like he was on one of those Muggle roller coasters. The one they had ridden on their little 'outing' had been enjoyable, but when the roller coaster was emotional... not so fun. He found himself holding Blaise tightly, reluctant to let go and return to having to deal with his currently chaotic life.
"Sure I can't get in any groping?" Blaise asked hopefully after a minute, smiling impishly against him, "Just a little?"
Draco let out a laugh and released him, giving him a little shove. Blaise chuckled, then reached up, tousling his freshly brushed hair. He took a step back, tilting his head to the side as he surveyed his handiwork, then reached up, giving the side one more fluff, then smirked. "There you go. Perfect. You'll be the most shaggable guy there. Well, other than me of course, but then that's why they call me the 'best man'!"
Draco rolled his eyes, looking over his hair in the mirror, then shrugged, leaving it. Ginny always said she liked it better that way anyway.
They looked over as there was a light tapping at the door. "Yes?" Draco called over.
The door opened and Dumbledore stood there smiling back at him. "It's time." He said softly, his eyes twinkling happily.
Draco felt his chest tighten with excitement. He gave himself one last look in the mirror, then looked around, quickly. "Am I forgetting something? I feel like I'm forgetting something..." he said a bit nervously.
Blaise rolled his eyes, calmly picking up the wand that lay on the table and slipping it in Draco's pocket, then taking the fresh rose from the vase next to it and flicking his own wand at it, trimming off the thorns and cutting the stem to the proper length. "Calm down, Draco." He said with a smirk as he neatly tucked the flower in Draco's lapel. "Just relax and enjoy the evening. It's only the rest of your life we're talking about anyway..." he said with a wicked smirk.
Draco rolled his eyes, taking a deep, calming breath, trying to convince himself that his father was NOT about to appear out of thin air and ruin everything. He then reached over, snatching up the small sheath of paper bound in twine. "Oh... here..." He said, going over and handing it to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore peered down at it curiously.
Draco caught the inquiring glance and felt a bit flustered, realizing he hadn't even told him about it yet. "Oh... um, that's the translation of the elvish journal. Whatever the Dark Lord has planned, it's in there somehow. The demon told me... well... after a fashion. There's a list of the ingredients that were in father's box as well, as well as a list of spells in from the journal that require two or more of those ingredients. I don't see how any of them could relate, but then that's why I'm giving it to you." He said, flashing him a smile.
Dumbledore's eyes were now peering down at the parchment avidly. "I see." he said calmly. He made it disappear into his robes, somehow not even leaving so much as an odd bulge in the fine, flowing royal blue material. "Shall we?" He asked, smiling at Draco.
> > > > > > > > > > >
"You're going to wear out your shoes." Hermione said mirthfully as she watched Ginny pacing.
Ginny stopped, blushing. "Sorry."
Hermione got up and walked over to her. "You sure you're ready for this?" She asked, noting Ginny's anxious expression.
"Close enough." Ginny said, starting to pace again.
Hermione stepped in her path, taking ahold of her arms. "Ginny, if you're not ready..."
"I am. I'm getting married." Ginny said resolutely.
Hermione sighed, "Ginny... I just don't want you to feel you have no choice in this. If he really loves you, he'll understand if you're..."
"Of course he loves me!" Ginny snapped, then took a deep breath and let it out, regretting her harshness and the way it made Hermione pull back. She sighed in exasperation. "I love him, Hermione. It's a bit sudden, yes..." She admitted, dropping her eyes. "But... he's right. It doesn't matter when we get married. He's the one. The only one I ever want to be with. I'm not going to let him get forced into marrying someone he doesn't love because I'm nervous! Not to mention Ron and Blaise wouldn't care for it much either..."
"That's what everyone else wants. What do you want, Ginny?" Hermione asked gently.
Ginny bit her bottom lips, then sighed. "I just want Draco."
Hermione gave her a little smile, "Ok then, let's get you ready. The ceremony should be starting any moment."
Ginny flashed her a little smile and nodded. Diamond had wanted to be there for the last minute primping, but one of the extra guests was taking quite a bit longer to get properly attired than the others had.
Hermione helped her carefully remove the robe she had been wearing over her dress. As she threw the robe over her arm and stepped back, her jaw dropped. The gown was... amazing!
"What do you think?" Ginny asked pensively.
Hermione blinked, snapping out of it. "I think you'll be lucky if Draco can still talk after getting a look at you!" she said with a smirk.
Ginny blushed and grinned.
> > > > > > > > > > >
Draco stood by Dumbledore, waiting for the ceremony to begin. The surroundings were just as lavish and breathtaking as he would expect from his mother. One of the large halls had been remade using the transfiguration skills of the twins. It looked for all the world as if they were in a large clearing in the middle of a forest. The effect was amplified by the way they had subtly worked in the windows, letting them show here and there through breaks in the trees so it looked like it just continued on into the distance.
As he listened, he could hear the calling of songbirds and everywhere there were lovely, delicate flowers. Even the benches that had been set out for the guests had vines covering the sides and legs, covered in softly scented blooms. The lighting was still relatively bright, but it was obvious that it was on the verge of sunset, even here. The sky had only soft wisps of clouds... just enough to catch the changing light and turn brilliant colors. He had no worry that there wouldn't be enough light though. Already there were swarms of brightly glowing fairies fluttering around on the gentle breeze.
He watched as the others took their seats. He had to admit, the dress clothing Diamond had provided seemed to make the guests look much more unified. Well, the cut was uniform, but the colors were varied. Dumbledore was in royal blue of course, as was Blaise. He'd heard Hermione was as well so they would match. He was in traditional black, as were a number of the other men... though he noticed that the clothes of the two elder Weasley boys that she'd put in black had a definite green tint to them. The only other purely black robes he could see were worn by Snape. He had to smirk at that. He wondered if Snape had informed Diamond he only wore black, or if she'd deduced that on her own. Draco's heart gave a little lurch as Snape took the seat beside Narcissa, the one normally reserved for the groom's father. Snape caught his eye and gave him a warm smile before being distracted by Narcissa.
Narcissa was wearing clothing of a very light powder blue. Not a color he'd ever seen her wear before, but then father had never approved of anything even remotely like pastel. He decided the color actually suited her very well. He smiled as he saw Kulia come in and take her seat. She was wearing brilliant Periwinkle that matched her eyes perfectly. She looked up and smiled at him as she took her seat between Fred and George, both of whom were wearing deep forest green. Her eyes stayed on him, and it almost seemed as if she could sense his unease. She gave him another little smile and tilted her head ever so slightly towards the door, her eyes going to it as well. He followed her gaze.
There, on either side of the only entrance to the hall, were her gargoyles. Charlie's work had obviously paid off, as they both looked whole, strong and rather impressive once again. They had settled gracefully down in the soft grass, the picture of casual repose, but he could tell by the way their eyes carefully looked over each guest who entered, they were most definitely 'on duty'.
He looked back over at Kulia and smiled broadly, wondering if she knew just how reassuring the gesture was.
His eyes were drawn back to the door as something massive moved through it. His eyes widened a bit. It was Hagrid. At least... he was pretty sure it was. He didn't know anyone else with that stature, but what a difference! Gone were the layers of crudely fashioned clothes made of mystery animal hides, replaced by the largest dress robes Draco had ever seen. He was dressed in dark brown, and from the cut, was definitely one of Diamond's creations. Draco marveled that she'd managed such a task. And if she was responsible for the rest, he was definitely going to have her checked for wizarding talent. Hagrid's hair, usually no more than a wild bush, had somehow, miraculously, been tamed. It was now smooth and straight, pulled back into a neat club at the back of his neck. His wild beard, too was gone. It had obviously been trimmed some, but that couldn't account for it entirely. It wasn't completely straight, but fell halfway down his chest in long smooth waves, like someone who had let their hair dry in braids. For the first time since he'd laid eyes on him his first year, Hagrid looked more like a wizard than a wildman.
Even from across the 'clearing', Draco could hear Hagrid exhale in adoration as he caught sight of the gargoyles. McGonagall, who had been following him, quickly hurried up, taking his huge hand as he started towards the nearest one and leading him firmly over to the bench in the back row (which had obviously been set up specifically for him, looking more like a reinforced picnic table than a bench). McGonagall then gave him a stern glance, obviously silently warning him to stay put, before going up to take her own seat. The rich burgundy of her robes suited her well, though it was unusual to see her without a hat.
The Thestral mares followed, going over to stand on either side of the gargoyles (staying under the shade of the trees). They took up their positions, standing there with their heads held high, as if it were their assigned positions.
"Whoa..." Blaise muttered softly, elbowing him.
Draco looked back towards the door. He wasn't sure who Blaise was most impressed with. Ron and Pansy had just walked in arm in arm, both looking very sharp in shades of green. Pansy was wearing almost the same shade as the twins, while Ron's clothing was of a bright, almost grass green. Draco smirked. Diamond was obviously of the same opinion about redheads and green...
And then of course there was Breanna, who was following close behind her daughter. She was wearing a vibrant shade of red with just a hint of orange. Draco was surprised Diamond would have used such an eye catching color, but he had to admit it was ravishing on her. Molly was wearing orange, but it was of much more subdued, earthy shade.
Draco reached over, covering Blaise's eyes as they locked onto and started following Breanna. "Down boy." He muttered with a smirk before dropping his hand.
Blaise looked over at him with a smirk, rolling his eyes. "Killjoy." He muttered under his breath to Draco.
Draco flashed a little smile as Dobby hurried in. He was wearing dark purple, which made Winky's daisy yellow clothes look even more pronounced. They hurriedly took seats. The ceremony was just about to begin.
Diamond and Vincent came in, obviously having had to hurry to get themselves ready after finishing with the guests. They split up, Vincent going over and slouching tiredly down on the other side of Winky. He was wearing blue to match his master, though of a slightly lighter shade. Diamond went over to Narcissa, who lifted her up onto the bench beside her. Diamond was wearing sky blue to match her mistress. Draco smirked as Diamond slumped against Narcissa, who reflexively draped her arm around her as if she were a child, obviously thinking nothing of the familiar gesture.
Harry and Delse hurried in, taking their seats last. Delse was in a sapphire blue, Harry in black tinted slightly blue to match.
Draco felt his heart start beating faster as soft music began to play, seeming to come from the air around them. Hermione entered, going up to take her place opposite Blaise. Draco barely even noticed that Hermione had her hair sleeked and pulled back again, as she had when she attended the yule ball with Victor Crumb. They all fell silent, craning their heads around in anticipation.
Draco had to smirk as Tiger pranced out, a shallow basket of rose petals clamped tightly in his mouth and he trotted down the aisle, head held high, and his feet raising higher than normal in a sort of formal march he supposed. The shaking of the basket this caused combined with the slight breeze, making the petals flutter out of the basket, falling to the dense moss on the ground in a little trail behind him. When it reached him, it went over to Blaise, rubbing against Draco's leg affectionately in passing. Draco smirked down at the small colt as he settled down at Blaise's feet.
Draco looked up as the Stallion entered, led by Arthur Weasley. Perched side-saddle on the Stallion's back was Ginny. The mere sight of her took his breath away. He could hear the others making appreciative sounds, but everything else was quickly fading from his awareness. Ginny had always been gorgeous in his eyes, but now she made the finest depictions of angels and goddesses look pale in comparison. Her hair was up in an intricately woven style, leaving only strategically places spirals of hair free to delicately brush her neck.
The dress... what could he say? It was beyond compare. Simple, and yet elegant, just as his mother had told Diamond. The cut was simple, yes... no puffs or unnecessary frills. The skirt of it covered most of the Stallion's back, hiding one wing almost entirely, but had no ostentation train. The waist angled down into a v shape at her slender waist, every line of the dress accentuating her femininity. The neckline followed suit, though remaining well high enough to be properly modest. It was, overall, amazing, but the most eye catching part about the dress had to be the intricate embroidery that flowed up one side. It was gold, catching the light of the setting sun with a warm fire. The central shape seemed to almost like an elongated paisley in shape starting at the v at the waist and curling ever so slightly as it flowed upwards to run parallel to the neckline as it ended, graceful swirls of gold radiating out from it and all but covering that half from breast to waist. She was also wearing a brilliant blue gemstone the size of a thumbnail on a thin gold chain that rested just perfectly on her breastbone.
The Stallion came to a stop once it reached him, and Arthur went back, taking Ginny by the waist and gingerly lifting her off and setting her on the ground. Draco stroked the Stallion's snout absently, his eyes never leaving Ginny. Once his part was done, the Stallion moved to the side, going around to sit behind Blaise. Draco nodded numbly as Arthur released Ginny's hand, letting her take Draco's, then took his seat next to Molly.
Ginny smiled at him shyly. A broad, warm smile spread itself over his lips. They turned to face Dumbledore, who was beaming at them.
"I cannot tell you..." Dumbledore began warmly, "How truly proud and honored I am to be the rule one to preside over this ceremony. For some of you it may seem that this is very sudden... but I, for one, have been looking forward to this day for a very... very long time. Today, we join together two souls destined to be as one. Fate has endeavored to keep them apart, but true love cannot be denied."
Draco felt his cheeks burning. It was almost reassuring to feel Ginny's hand shaking just as badly as his own was.
"I feel, in this case, long winded speeches and recitals will not be necessary. Any who look upon them can tell how very deeply their love runs. I have, therefor, chosen a more... traditional venue. A ceremony such as this has not been performed in nearly a century, but I believe this occasion warrants it."
Dumbledore slipped his hand into his robes and produced a small glowingly white object that seemed to shimmer in the light of the setting run. Draco stared at it. It was a tiny sculpture of a man and a woman embracing. As he studied it more closely, he could tell that the man and woman were, in fact, perfect replicas of himself and Ginny. He felt a sense of wonder as Darien's memory allowed him to recognize it for what it was.
"This has been waiting a good long time to serve its purpose. For those of you unfamiliar with the old ways, this... is unicorn horn." There was a bit of shifting and glancing around by the older members of the group who remembered at least tales of such ceremonies. Molly and Arthur looked at eachother, shocked.
"With this," Dumbledore continued, "The purity of their love for one another will be confirmed for all to see, and seal their union beyond any contestation. Draco, if you will..."
Draco reached out, taking ahold of the tiny sculpture without hesitation. He could feel its power vibrating in his hand, sending tingles through him as it came into contact with his wedding band. He turned to face her, and at his glance, she lifted her own hands. He moved them, placing the hand with her own ring around the sculpture, placing their hands around it so they were both in direct contact with it, trapping it between them, then he placed his other hand over hers and she followed suit, covering his.
He looked up at her and gave her a warm smile. "I love you." He said gently, but loud enough for his voice to carry to the guests. "I always have, and I hereby swear that I always will."
She glanced at Dumbledore nervously. He smiled and nodded encouragingly. "I love you too." She said, following Draco's lead, "Always have, and I hereby swear I always will." She felt relief as Draco smiled at her. She was afraid she wouldn't do it right. It wasn't exactly a ceremony she was familiar with.
"What we forge here today, not even death shall tear asunder." Dumbledore recited solemnly, though with a twinkle in his eyes. "You may kiss your bride."
Draco leaned forward, and Ginny eagerly met his kiss. As their lips touched, their rings began to burn, but not in a painful way. A wild rush coursed through them as the statue pulsed in their hands. The air seemed to shimmer and grow brighter around then, but the couple barely even noticed, closing their eyes and losing themselves in the kiss. The light around them grew, dazzling the eyes of the guests, building until it was impossibly bright, then with a clap and a flash, it released, flowing over all who were gathered in a dizzying wave of pure love.
> > > > > > > > > > >
A/N - I know. Took forever. Read further if ya wanna know why. I haven't had time to do more that one proofread on the last part, so oh well if there are errors. If they are glaring, I may repost the chapter, just so you know in case you see the same chapter being posted again. Oh, and it's fucking with my punctuation again in case anything looks really wierd.
Bigreader - No, I wasn't talking about you specifically. Pretty much everyone was doing it. As for the scene with Lucius, yes it was abrupt. Pax wasn't going to give Harry a chance to brace himself. He thrust him into the middle of a memory without warning so he was completely taken by surprise, which made it all the more frightening for Harry, since it didn't give him time for his mind to understand what was happening to him. That wasn't the same as what he did later with faking Delse's death. With Lucius, it was a memory, in a different place and in a different body. There was no way Harry would have mistaken that for reality. Pax was just lashing out at him in the only way he could, and as hard and fast as he could for impact. He was much more subtle later because he knew a lighter touch was required make Harry admit his feelings, and that was Pax's imagination, so Harry could move around in it on his own which made it feel real. As Nicolaus said, Pax has a very vivid imagination.
Ophelia - Kneazle blood - the giants absorbing magic is from the book. See OOTP, when they are trying to take Hagrid into custody and he just shoves them outta the way and runs for it, despite being hit by like a couple dozen stunning spells. Crookshanks being half kneazle is not from the books (yet) but it is from J.K. (interview I believe) but how that works to allow the demon to use it as a host... well J.K. doesn't have any demons, so that would have to be mine ;) About the couples shagging at night... it was a long time ago that I heard about this, but I believe I did not read about it myself... if I recall correctly, it's how one of my friends got knocked up and her doctor told her that he saw that sometimes, and it wasn't uncommon... and I believe he mentioned some kind of study at like one of those sleep centers, but I of course have absolutely no solid source to provide you for that. You could probably look it up on the internet. As for the reviews... well at least you didn't imply you thought I was on the rag like a certain other reviewers. (the reply to you ends here, Ophelia. The remainder is not aimed at you, just so you know)
Let me give you a hint people - it is never a good idea to so much as insinuate that you think there is even a chance a woman is menstruating when she's upset. Believe it or not, there is more to women's lives and emotions than menstrual cycles! Let me explain why you should never indicate you think this is the 'problem': If she isn't menstruating, she gets royally pissed (and justifiably so!) because that's just a sexist insult; a way that men (and women too sometimes) can write her opinions and feelings off as some 'hormonal female problem' and not take her seriously... and if she is menstruating... well guys, you've just handed her an excuse that has gotten more than one woman acquitted! Think about it. (you should thank me if you didn't know this before guys... cause I may well have just saved your life!)
Just so you know - I'm in (and was in the previous chapter as well!) the first category. You best thank the Gods for that, because let me tell you... if I had been in the second category Lucius would have had a killing spree the likes of which would have left you with nightmares! Believe it!
Cizzy - Where do I even start? I don't usually quote my reviewers, but there are just too many things I need to respond to here. All quotes are copied directly with no alteration other than italicizing them so they are easier to differentiate from my responses. The full review is undoubtedly still relatively near the top for any who wish to read it all. "My only negative comment, and it definitely annoyed me, is all the "sacred baby" reference stuff to fetuses." Who the HELL was making a bunch of sacred babies references? I don't know what you were reading, but it sure the Hell wasn't my fic. I quite literally thought you were reviewing the wrong fic here! I checked and I used that word ONCE (out of well over 270,000 words!) in reference to Kulia's babies, saying that identical twin snow elves were considered sacred by other snow elves and that reference was in the sense of something being greatly respected and protected since they were so incredibly rare and powerful. Never have I revisited that aspect and never have I said it was just because they were babies. It was a passing reference in a special case, and you're making it out to sound like I've been fuckin preaching about the sanctity of life or something! You of course then went on to say fetuses aren't babies until they would survive outside the mother... you made it sound like they don't even matter before that! Now that's just fucked up! If you're talking about how R/B/P or K/F/G feel about their babies... they want their babies. They love their babies, no matter how small they currently are. This appears to be a foreign concept to you, which I find profoundly sad. Draco's desire to keep his little sibling had nothing to do with 'sacredness'. He is an only child who has always wanted a sibling. I don't see what your problem is with the idea of him wanting to keep the baby despite its origins. No matter how it was created, it's still his sibling. "I feel it's incredibly hyprocritical that everyone in this story is having incredibly promiscuous (sp?)sex, or has in the past, and that all the sudden its somehow justifiable to want to talk to a woman who has been raped repeatedly about keeping her pregnancy." It would be hypocritical if they wanted her to keep it when they had been aborting their own children. They may have been promiscuous, but they acted responsibly, using protection at all times, and the pregnancies that did occur were intentional! Not to mention they have every intention of keeping the babies. Now if they had been criticizing someone for having loose sex, yes that would definitely be hypocritical. Loose but completely 'safe' sex and aborting children are in no way related. Hypocrisy is criticizing someone for something that you do yourself. I think you need to go check a dictionary before calling me a hypocrite! "I don't care if it will add to the plot. Its offensive." Well, please stop reading then. Especially if you aren't even going to take the time to read what I'm actually writing without jumping to conclusions that are wildly unfounded. "Adding in that part with the raped mother feels not only like a political statement, but a plot detractor." Let me see... I'd have to say fuck you to that one. The attempt to keep the child is a personal desire of Draco's, not some stupid political statement. Fuck political statements! I fucking HATE politics! "If flagrant and unapologetic gay sex is okay in your story..." UNAPOLOGETIC? What the fuck? Why should it be apologetic? If you're one of those fucking homophobes, what the HELL are you doing going into this story in the first place? It's clearly marked! Love between two people should never require an apology! Any who say differently can kiss my ass. "This isn't exactly a biblically acceptable story." Well no-fuckin-duh! I'm not religious, and that is a can of worms you don't want to open! "But the mantra: Bloodlines are nothing, actions are everything etc. does pervade." Correction here, blood relations DO matter! The Weasleys are as close as any family could hope to be. Snape cares for Pansy, even though he didn't raise her himself. Draco feels compelled to save this child because it is his sibling above all else. Blood matters. Family matters. They may not judge people based solely on their bloodline, but it doesn't mean it is meaningless. If there is a pervasive theme, it's that being a pureblood doesn't matter. I never said that woman was a pureblood. She was a witch, yes, but she might be muggleborn for all we know. Draco never even asked, now did he? It was never a consideration in his mind. "Draco shouldn't even care," I sure as Hell hope you don't have any siblings! That is one cold ass opinion! 'Oh who the hell cares if it's my brother? It's just a fetus and my deranged father's, so lets just kill the little fucker. It couldn't survive outside its mother yet, so it's not like it's a real baby!' Real fuckin considerate! "or be suprised (my opinion..obviously). Lucius sounds like the type to have many bastards but only one heir." If you weren't paying attention (which I'm getting a very strong feeling you must not have been!) Lucius usually wore a contraceptive ring. ANY offspring he would have fathered would have been a legal heir with legal claims on the Malfoy fortune, thus why he would make sure he fathered no children other than with his own wife. "Sorry to make this so long, but after sticking to and enjoying your story for so long, I feel I have grounds for complaint." Ok, you know what? That right there pissed me off the most! I have spent pretty much every free moment I have working on this story for the last five months! Am I getting paid for this? NO! You're sure as hell not paying me. If you were I wouldn't be in such a fucked up financial situation right now on top of everything else! So let's see here... I have slaved away to provided you with hours and hours of entirely free entertainment, which you claim to have enjoyed, and for that you feel entitled to bitch at me? And after I stated in no uncertain terms that I wasn't going to put up with this shit anymore? Well fuck you! If I could find a way to block you from reading my story, you can bet your ass I would! The very thought that you might get more pleasure out of reading what my hard efforts have produced after THAT review offends me. If you want someone to criticize and taunt while they are emotionally unstable, you can go find some of those people who spent ten minutes jotting down shit with bad grammar and spelling like a second grader and bitch at them!
That's it people! I have just about had it! I ask you nicely... I even WARN you and still I get this shit! I can't handle being 'nice' anymore! You have no idea how many scathing replies I have either deleted or castrated before posting! No more. If I keep getting reviews from people with sticks shoved so far up their asses that they're spitting bark, I'm going to stop posting! I'm not fucking around here. How am I suppose to write when I'm getting so pissed off? I was fuming for an entire fucking day over that last one! And it still pisses me off whenever I think about it. And they keep doing it in the stupid fuckin anonymous mode so I can't even bitch them out in private. Noooooo... they make me rant here and look like a total bitch!
Oh, and if you're upset with how long it has taken for me to post, you can thank Cizzy! How the fuck am I supposed to write something like a wedding while in such a foul mood? The minute I read that, my muse stomped right out the fuckin door. You know how excruciatingly hard it has been for me to keep focused on this one story for this long? It is completely unheard of for me. I've had to give up reading other fanfic and books, and even watching tv or going to movies, because I simply can't do any of those things without diverting my interest and making it impossible for me to continue writing on the same story. I've quite literally left stories mid-sentence and not been able to write another word on them for YEARS. After that review I just sat there, staring at what I had finished of the chapter... and nothing. I spent days going back and rereading the story, trying to get it back, then started watching movies and tv, hoping something would make a spark, but the will has fled. It's been like ten days since that review, and I only was just able to make myself finish.
Since we're not allowed to write just author's notes as a chapter, I suggest you check reviews if you don't hear from me for a long time again to see who it is you have to thank for it.