Disclaimer: I own nothing. The people and the places all belong to JK Rowling.
Author's Note: This is pre-HBP. Thank you.
Little Rays of Color
Chapter One:
Not all things are black and white. Sometimes there are little rays of color shooting out from all the darkness. Sometimes those rays brought good things; sometimes they brought bad things. And on rare occasions, things that would look bad would turn good. This is the story of one such case.
"Oh my God!" Ginny Weasley proclaimed at the breakfast table. "They passed that stupid law!"
"What law?" Ronald Weasley asked stupidly. This was no surprise to anyone since Ron had only grown stupider since the end of the war.
"The marriage law, Ronald," Hermione said impatiently. "You know, the law that forces purebloods and non-purebloods to get married."
"Oh. I suppose that means that I should apply for someone."
"Yes, Ron, you should send in an application for Hermione as soon as possible. You know the law is first come first served," Harry informed his best friend.
"Don't worry, Harry," Ginny said. "I'm going to send in mine for you right now."
However, at Ginny's words, two ministry owls flew into the room and went to Ginny and Harry. Ginny frowned as she opened her letter. She scanned the letter before fainting.
When Ginny finally cam to, she was surrounded by a lot of screaming, and her mum was crying hysterically. Then she remembered the letter; the letter that sealed her future. She was engaged to be married to Draco Malfoy.
One might wonder how it was possible for Ginny to be engaged to Draco. That was exactly what Ginny was wondering when she finally came to her senses. Ginny turned to the one person she has always turned to when she needed answers; mum. "Mum, how is it that I am engaged to Malfoy? The Weasleys are purebloods."
"Oh, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley cried. "I had hoped I would never have to tell you this. About twenty years ago, you dad and I were going through a rough spot in our marriage. During that time, I had a small affair with a half-blood named James Crawley. You were the product of that affair."
"What the fuck?"
"It's true, Ginny. Everything was a mess. Arthur was never home and I felt so unloved. I was practically raising six boys on my own. I mean, that's why you're a girl. The Weasleys haven't had a girl in decades."
"Ginny," Hermione said softly, "who did you get?"
A couple of tears slid down Ginny's cheek as she thought of all that had come to pass in these last few minutes. "Draco Malfoy."
At that pronouncement, chaos spread throughout the room. Some were cursing Draco Malfoy, others were cursing the Ministry of Magic, and then there was Ginny, just sitting alone, crying her heart out.
News travels fast in the wizarding world, and it wasn't even five minutes later that Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George had arrived to find out how their baby sister was engaged to be married to another pureblood. Just as Molly was going to reveal the truth, Arthur arrived, his face beet red.
Everyone took their cue and filed out of the kitchen. "Now, Arthur, I can explain…" Mrs. Weasley began.
"Then I suggest you do, because I don't see how this could happen."
"It was a mistake, a long time ago. He was gone before Ginny was born."
"My own wife, a whore."
"It was a mistake. I didn't want you to take your anger out on Ginny. Please, can we just get through the weddings of our kids, and then you can do whatever you want to me?"
"You mean our sons."
"Please, she need you right now. It's Malfoy, for Christ's sake. She needs her dad."
"I'm not her father."
"In her heart, you are."
Meanwhile, Ron had just finished filling out an application for Hermione, which shortly brought a letter from the ministry informing her that she was engaged to Ron. Harry's letter informed him that because he was a hero, as well as the fact that they felt that he was in danger, he was exempted from the law.
Ginny had gone up to her room to discover a letter from Draco Malfoy awaiting her. She read the letter quickly, discovering that she was to meet him for dinner that night. After reading the letter three times, she ripped it up and cried herself to sleep.
At lunch that day, there was a big discussion over who was engaged to whom. Bill was already married to Fleur and Charlie was married to Katie Bell. Percy was engaged to Penelope Clearwater, while the twins were engaged to the Patil twins. Ron and Hermione were reasonably happy being engaged, and Harry was happy being single. No one talked about who Ginny was engaged to.
Ginny sat most of the meal in silence, not seeming to hear the conversation going on around her. It was a great shock to everyone when Ginny lifted her head and stated, "I won't be at supper tonight. I am going out."
Silence fell over the table. They all knew who she was going with. Molly looked at her daughter and smiled sadly, "It will all be okay, Ginny. It will all work out."
No one knew what to say to make the small red head feel better. "At least he was on our side," Hermione tried weakly.
Ginny smiled sarcastically. "Yeah, he was on our side. He sneered and made fun of us every chance he got, but hey, he was on our side so that makes him okay."
"He did turn over his father to us," Hermione reminded gently.
"Yeah, that sure is a great way to look at it. If something better comes along, he will just hand me off to be killed like he did with his father."
Hermione gasped, "Oh, come on, Ginny. Not even Draco Malfoy is that heartless."
Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "Perhaps not." And with that, she left the table to tear apart her closet to find something appropriate to wear to dinner with her future husband.
Ginny wasn't stupid, unlike Ron. She knew that she had to look and act her best tonight in order to make sure that thing might turn out to be decent when they get married.
She settled on a classic black dress with a strand of pearls and matching earrings and bracelet.
And so it began. The tiny rays of color coming through the white. The rays burned like hell. The only question that remained was what will become of these rays of color, and what effect would they have?