Alex, Louise and Draco stayed at Malfoy Manor that night.
The next morning they woke early, ddisoriented and sleepy; unable to work out why they were at home and not at Hogwarts. Then it hit them. They remembered the conversation with their parents the previous day and wondered if their future wives (or husband in Louise's case) had been told yet. Yawning, the three of them got out of bed and dressed in their ordinary clothes.
Seeing his mistress about to head out of the room, Prince got to his feet, wagging his tail as he followed her down to the dining room. Louise entered the dining room seconds before Alex and then finally...Draco.
As they ate their breakfast, their parents announced that they had received owls back from the Greengrass family, the Nott family and the Parkinson family and they were all extremely pleased with the plans. Their soon-to-be-fianceés had received owls from their parents that very morning. "By the time you return to school, they will have had time to process the news" Bellatrix explained.
"What if one of them refuses?" Louise asked, a worried expression on her face.
"They won't refuse" Lucius assured his niece.
"But how do you know?" Louise looked confused.
Alex, upon seeing the look of confusion on his sister' s face, decided to explain. "Lou, it's normal in pureblood wizarding families for arranged marriages" he told her. "Sometimes purebloods marry a witch or wizard who they love if that particular witch or wizard has been approved off by their parents"
Recognition passed over Louise's face. "Oh, okay" she nodded.
The three teenagers took Prince out for a walk before they headed back to Hogwarts. As they walked through the woods, Louise noticed that her cousin and her brother both seemed unusually quiet.
"Are you two okay?" she asked, rather hesitantly.
"I'm fine" Draco replied almost immediately.
"So am I" Alex shrugged.
"Are you sure? Neither of you seem okay...in fact, you both seem anything but okay!"
"I'm just thinking" Alex shrugged.
Louise frowned. "What about?" she pressed.
Her brother sighed. "I just don't like this whole arranged marriage thing" he replied.
"I thought you liked Penelope?" Louise raised her eyebrows.
"I do!" Alex said quickly. "But..." he trailled off, shaking his head.
"But what?" Draco joined in the conversation.
"I...I wanted to ask her out this weekend, I had it all planned out; but now it's just going to look like I'm only doing it because of this stupid arranged marriage" he said bitterly.
Louise patted her brother's arm in a comforting gesture. "It's okay Alex, I'm sure Penelope will be cool with it, I've always thought that she liked you" she soothed.
"Hey dude, I'm the one who should be worried!" Draco put in. "We both think that Penelope actually like likes you, whereas I haven't got a clue about what Pansy thinks of me! She could hate my guts for all I know!"
Alex glanced at his sister. "You're best friends with her" he stated.
Louise nodded. "I am...and your point is...?"
Alex rolled his eyes. "What does Pansy think of our Cuz?" he asked.
Louise attempted to not grin. "I don't know" she replied, fixing an innocent expression onto her face.
Draco looked frustrated. "Lou...please tell me" he whined.
Alex suddenly grabbed his younger sister and began to tickle her. Giggling helplessly, she shrieked "alright! I'll tell you!"
Alex let go of his sister, tossing a stick ahead of them for Prince to chase after. "Come on then...spill" he looked at her expectantly.
Louise looked from her brother, to her cousin, who was looking pleading. She smiled. "Pansy has a hopeless crush on you...she has done for as long as any of us can remember!" she confirmed.
Draco's face lit up. "Really?" he asked.
"Yes really! But you didn't hear it from me!" his cousin smiled.
As Louise called to Prince, they began to walk back home.
"You know Lou, Theo's had a crush on you since the day we met you, at the meeting" Draco told her.
Louise went pink. "Seriously?" she asked uncertainly.
Her cousin nodded. "Honest, he does! He was literally so determined that you should come everywhere with us in the summer, don't you remember?"
"I remember thinking that he was just being friendly" Louise shrugged.
Draco shook his head. "Theo really likes you Lou; he'll be over the moon that it's been arranged that the pair of you are to be married!"
Louise went red and her brother came to her rescue. "Well we're all waiting for Pansy's reaction!" he teased their cousin.
The three of them continued to tease each other as they walked home, Prince running ahead, turning back every so often, so as to make sure his mistress was still there. Louise thought to herself, and not for the first time, how much happier she was in her new life.