CHAPTER EIGHT
(I'm aware that there are no breaks separating the different changes out. I apologize and am working to fix this mistake. Until then, imagine they are there. And I'm still glad to see there are ppl reading this story. I have so many hits. Thx.)
It was two days before her wedding, and Mackenzie felt like she was being driven slightly mad. She had fortunately, with the help of her soon to be family-in-law, finished most of the plans for her and George to be married. After George had disclosed his personal feelings over what had happened between him and his ex, Mackenzie wondered if he really did expect her to do the same by being a no show. The reality of it all was that his honesty and much of his simple consideration towards her from the start was what made her want to marry him more.
She jumped out of bed in the best mood she'd been in over the past week of playing her best condescending, arrogant, self-involved side with Malfoy, and secretly sneaking off to see George while planning their wedding. She quickly jumped into her shower, threw on a short beige sundress, and didn't bother doing much with her hair. She left it to hang around her shoulders and air dry into its soft curls. She wanted desperately to see George again this morning. She wanted to surprise him at work. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, and enjoy the feel of his arms around her as she could hear his heartbeat when she rested against him. She was halfway down the staircase on her way to the second floor to floo to Diagon Alley from the study when Carlyle, one of her house elves popped into view from behind her. Mackenzie had started to become accustom to many more ideologies pertaining to the wizarding world and the things that happened or existed. She still held onto her own beliefs from living in her "muggle side", but this was a nice change too.
"Ms. Mackenzie, Mr. Malfoy has just informed the household of his arrival later this morning."
Mackenzie checked a nearby clock on the wall. It was nine in the morning. She had a while yet. And if not, she'd take the chance.
"Thank you." She said, skipping her way down the remaining steps. "I'll be back in an hour. I have an errand to run." With that said, she disappeared into the sitting room, and into the fireplace.
When she arrived in Diagon Alley, there were few people running about. The crowds she was used to seeing were not surrounding the area yet. Perhaps it was too early for them, she guessed. She shrugged and proceeded to the only shop she was interested in this day.
She was nearly to the shop when she saw a familiar figure walk through the door before she had arrived to it. She stood back behind a large column for a few seconds, waiting for the figure to completely enter inside. Her curiosity got the better of her once more, and she neared the door, stopping it from closing the final inch and a half. She hoped she could hear anything about why Angelina would dare step foot into George's store. She waited for someone to speak.
"George?" Angelina called out. "Fred?"
George was in one of the backrooms, going over sales lists and receipts when he heard her voice. Again it sent an icy chill down his spine. He stood from the desk he sat at and went to open the door. He walked out and paid her presence no attention until he arrived a few feet from her.
"Angelina, I thought I made it clear that I want nothing to do with you or our past. You cannot come sauntering in here as if you've done nothing wrong." George's voice was so hard and unforgiving. Mackenzie did not know the man who showed her so much selflessness, could sound so feared.
"I know Georgie." Angelina said in return, closing the distance between them. He hand reached up and touched his face. "But I need you to let me properly apologize to you. I don't expect much…"
"Good."
"But," she continued. "I hope that what we had before all of this bad blood between us will be remembered. We were so good together. It could be like that again." She whispered into his ear as she stood onto her toes.
George wrenched her hand from his skin. He moved her off to the side as he walked a distance away from her again.
"Even before this 'bad blood', you were lying to me." George maintained. "You went through all of that time professing how much you cared, how much we meant to each other, and all of the reasons why it could never end. I loved you once. Never again."
"I loved you too George." She insisted, stepping forward, only to be stopped when George held up his hand.
George scoffed at her response. "Not enough. You left me for someone else. You left me for someone you thought could give you the power and prestige you crave. And now that he's chucked you, you see fit to waltz back into my life under the impression that I'm waiting with open arms. You cannot change the past. There is someone else now."
"She is marrying someone else. A non pureblood, but I suppose Malfoy knows what he's doing. " Angelina reminded him, referring to Mackenzie.
"Under duress. And that doesn't change things." He argued. "It doesn't change the way I feel for her. It's my burden to get over her with time, but only if I choose to do so. And it definitely doesn't change how I feel about you. We ended things long ago, and there is no need to change that."
Angelina was quiet. Here was the moment. She stood, feeling this moment in her life go by so slowly. There was no hope of changing him. He was truly adamant, irately so, about his feelings for both women. Somewhere along the lines of her departure and his time to think, she had lost him. There was no part of him that belonged to her, or wanted to do so. He loved someone else. The two were finished. There was nothing more to do, except… she thought for a moment about the consequences of her next action. She wondered if she could go through with it. She didn't know, but she had to try. She looked into George's eyes, putting her next plan to the side.
"I hope that one day you won't hate me anymore George. Because I can't go through more time knowing we will walk past each other in the street, be in a room together, or even watching others have what we used to have, and have you hating me."
George sighed, turning his back. "I don't hate you Angelina." He confessed. "I can't forgive you and I will never forget, but I can't hate you anymore. It takes too much from me and whatever lies ahead for my life. If I meet someone new, I can no longer let our past dictate what should happen in my future."
Angelina nodded, closing her eyes with what would likely be her final conversation with this man resonating through her head.
"You should leave now." He stated, pointing to the fireplace off in the back room.
Angelina left, walking away from him without turning back for a second look. There was nothing left. Nothing was unfinished.
Mackenzie listened to the conversation between the two, feeling a bit less cynical towards the other woman. She had apologized and accepted George's arguments. It was probably more than Mackenzie could do if in the same position, but even placed into the same position with Malfoy, things were different. She did not love Draco Malfoy. They did not have any sort of history together. And they were far less compatible than oil and water. Just because she had to play up her narcissistic side, didn't mean she liked it any.
"You know it's customary and far more polite for people to actually enter stores if interested. You can't purchase much from this side of the door." A voice behind Mackenzie said in a teasing tone.
Mackenzie turned. "Good morning Fred." She greeted, hugging him, despite the packages he held in his arms. "It's scary how alike you two look."
"We are twins. The identical kind." He patronized jokingly.
"Yes." She smiled. "And if I hadn't known he was in there, I'd have probably mistaken you for him."
"That might've been disastrous."
"For sure. Where have you just come from?"
Fred smiled. "I think I've found a new charm for a specific type of candy, and also a less unstable love potion to place into a special gift. We had the candy shipped in from Switzerland and I had to stop by the Apothecary to find a few extra ingredients for the potion."
"Something fun then?" Mackenzie returned his contagious smile.
Fred shifted the packages and threw an arm around her shoulders. His eyes were positively mischievous "It's a present for my brother and soon to be sister-in-law on their wedding day."
"I can't wait to see."
"So are you going to enlighten me as to why you are standing on this side of the door instead of going inside?"
Mackenzie drew in a breath, shifting her feet a bit. "I have to be honest. I was spying. I saw Angelina walk into the store before me and I couldn't help myself."
"So George has told you what happened?"
Mackenzie nodded.
Fred leaned in closer to the door. "Did they say anything interesting? I'm afraid I've left the extendable ears inside."
Mackenzie's eyebrows rose in amusement. "You are just as sneaky as me. I don't know if that's a good sign yet."
"Which is precisely why you fit perfectly with him and will be a magnificent addition to the name Weasley."
"Thank you Fred." Mackenzie hugged him as he had made her even happier if possible to be marrying into his family.
"Are you coming in?"
She shook her head. "Not anymore. Just let him know you ran into me and tell him I'll see him later."
Fred nodded, letting Mackenzie pass as he entered back into the shop.
Moments later, as Mackenzie was walking away, she was picked up and spun around by a pair of strong arms behind her. She was thankful to know that there was no one else around yet as she realized it was George holding onto her.
He replaced her to the ground, keeping behind her.
"You didn't come in." He whispered. "Fred said he stopped to talk to you outside of the shop."
"Yeah." Mackenzie turned in his arms, still holding her. "I saw Angelina go in first. I didn't think it wise to interrupt."
"You overheard?"
"Couldn't help myself."
"S'alright." George held her to him, taking in the scent of her jasmine and orchid shampoo.
"I also didn't want her to see me walk in. If she is talking to Malfoy, I don't want her to fuel any fires."
"I sent her away straight after our talk." He ran his hands over her shoulders. "Where are you headed to now?"
"Malfoy." She faked an enthusiastic tone. "I headed over here to say good morning to you, and now must go and play nicely with Malfoy. He's coming to the Manor in a bit."
"Having fun with him?" George sarcastically asked.
"So much." She answered, equally as sardonic.
"I should let you go then." George said, letting his arms drop. He kissed her before turning away afterwards.
"Before I forget…" He stopped her from walking away. "Gin, Hermione, mum, and Fleur would like you to meet them tomorrow. Early morning. They need you for the entire day and the night."
"For what?"
George grinned. "Hen party. The men are kidnapping me for a stag party. And after that we'll be leaving after the wedding, so pack enough…or very little. The less you're wearing, the better…"
Mackenzie rolled her eyes.
"Fantastic. I get presents then." Mackenzie excitedly said. "Let them know I'll be there."
The two left with many more glances back to each other before they were out of sight.
Mackenzie was back at the Manor soon enough. She had little more than enough time to run back upstairs and change from the sundress she wore, into a pair of dark blue jeans, with a fitted black tank top. She insisted on being comfortable if she were going to spend the morning with Malfoy. After changing, she had a pot of tea made and brought to the sitting room where she would wait for Malfoy to pay her a visit.
"I've made up my mind." Angelina stated to Draco as he grew bothered by the unannounced visitor before he'd been seconds away from apparating outside of Chase Manor to meet Mackenzie.
The woman had begun to yell and argue as instantly as she had come through the activated Floo.
"I can't do this Malfoy!"
"What? What are you going on about? Can't do what?" His eyes stared coldly at her.
"He doesn't want anything to do with me. It's over. I have to do the right thing. So whatever you have planned for me to do in your little scheme, I'm refusing. You can keep Mackenzie as you seem to already have her under your thumb."
Draco stepped towards her, backing her back into the fireplace. "What makes you think you haven't already started your part of this? Have you seen George yet? Has he spoken to you with less anger?"
Angelina nodded. "On a small level. Yes."
"And did I not promise you a position at the Ministry? That job of yours is going to help me out very much."
"I won't do it Malfoy." She confirmed. "I won't. It's not worth it if he still wants her."
"He doesn't want her."
Angelina chuckled. "If that's what you think, then you're blind. I heard it from his own mouth. He admitted to me that he does still absolutely love her."
Draco paced the room he stood in. He was troubled by this admission from Angelina. Weasley still had feelings for Mackenzie. It wasn't all too surprising, but it did make him wonder if Mackenzie knew the same thing, and if she were simply as she said it, going along with these wedding plans to torture her ex, or if deep down, she held some desire to still be with George and find a way out of her current set of marital circumstances. It was not something Draco could reason out in his head. Mackenzie was not easily read by others. When you thought her to be on one track, she sat perfectly willing beside the enemy. No. He would have to confront her to see where she stood. But how? She didn't trust him. That much was still clear. She had to marry Draco, They had to be civil to one another, but trust was much lacking in their friendship.
Draco stopped pacing. He'd come up with a worthy way of either getting her to trust and befriend him, or possibly he would make things worse. That was the answer he needed. He knew what he had to do.
"I have to go Johnson. You can see yourself out. I'm late to meet my fiancé."
Draco aparrated out of the Manor as soon as he was certain Angelina was gone.
Not minutes later, he was ringing the bell of Chase Manor.
He walked in as soon as the door opened the slightest bit. The unlucky house elf to open the door was pushed back before able to respond. Draco marched into the front hall, looking from one side to the other. There were rooms on each side. He turned back to the house elf who now attempted to stand from the floor he was knocked onto.
"Where is Mackenzie?" Draco questioned, a civil tone coming to his voice.
"Ms. Mackenzie is in the sitting room having her tea Mr. Malfoy."
The elf pointed to the right and watched Draco take off before disappearing.
Draco knocked on the door before entering.
"Come in Malfoy."
He entered the room to see Mackenzie sitting in a chair that leaned back onto two of its four legs, her feet set on top of a small round table that held her tea. A relatively large book sat in her lap as she thumbed over the pages as she read. She hadn't looked up from her book yet.
Draco entered further. Finally Mackenzie's head slowly rolled upward to look at Draco. She replaced her chair to the floor, all four legs now touching the ground, and closed her book, placing it onto the table.
"Good morning." She said to him.
Draco smiled. He walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "Good Morning."
"You seem in a friendly mood today. What's the matter?"
"Nothing." He lied.
Mackenzie read straight through his lie. "Don't make me ask again."
"Fine." He sat in the chair across from her. "I was wondering… I mean is it possible for us… shit." He grumbled, unable to properly word his question so that she stayed approachable to the request.
"What is it Malfoy? I haven't got all day."
"Why can't we be friends?"
"Because you're a bastard." Mackenzie straightforwardly replied. There was no question in her own voice.
Draco nodded. "Okay. Well deserved. But take away the fact that you're being required to marry me, and then answer again."
"You're also a shit head."
He was growing irritated by the hostility in her. It was his job to be hostile to others not the other way around. This would take a more gentle and direct, honest approach. Because if Mackenzie Chase was anything, it was direct and honest. There was no pretense to her. She was cut and dry. No gray area.
"Mackenzie I want to be friends again."
She nearly choked on the tea she sipped. "What?"
"You heard me."
"I did, but… now I'm just wondering who are you and what have you done with Draco Malfoy?"
"I'm serious."
Mackenzie leaned her chair back again, balancing on two legs. "Okay Malfoy." She tapped her fingers along her leg. "It's not that easy. You can't just come in here, say you want to be friends , and expect me to jump to your request."
"I'm willing to do what it takes."
Mackenzie eyed him with suspicion. He didn't ever do anything without an ulterior motive. That just wasn't like Draco Malfoy. So, she would have to drag the truth out of him. Why the sudden need to be friends?
"If you're so concerned with being friends, we are going to clear a few things up first."
"Fair enough. Like what?"
"Like why you want to marry me. I am barely a witch. I'm still learning. I can barely make proper spells work. And I'm not a pureblood witch. Isn't that contradicting all of your head up your arse beliefs or something?"
Mackenzie watched the horrified look on his face grow. She had touched a nerve on a subject he had no idea she was aware of.
"What? You think I didn't know you and your family are obsessed with retaining that pure bloodline. I make it a point to know exactly what I'm marrying into. There is little to do around the Manor here, so I choose to read. Daddy allows me to read through old files from the Ministry. Your parents had a very large file before their deaths. By the way, I'm sorry about the circumstances of their deaths. I know how hard it is to lose one parent, but losing both must be awful. And to be killed by the people you most trust…even if they were death eaters. I'm sorry."
Draco nodded to her. He silently commended her for her bravery. She wasn't afraid to be honest with him. She knew more than he'd expected, and most importantly, she was willing to voice her concerns and complaints as a challenge to him.
"My father." He said.
"What about him?"
"It's true. Before he and my mother were killed after the war, he had insisted that I never marry beneath me. However, the exception to his rule is influence, control, and commanding position. If a witch is in a powerful enough position, or has the same connected allies, then it all changes. You are the Minister's daughter. You don't get much more power than that unless you marry the Minister himself, and…eww. No."
Mackenzie stood quickly, pushing her chair backwards with her foot. "This is a marriage built on power and prestige? Status?"
"Pretty much."
"Damn it Malfoy!"
Mackenzie stood up as she threw her hands into the air dramatically, and paced the area.
"Look Mackenzie, I know this isn't easily accepted…"
"Easily accepted!? She yelled at him. "Draco Malfoy, I don't want to marry you. Easily accept that." She quieted a bit. "I don't think you want to marry me either. At least I think if you had the options you need, you wouldn't."
"What makes you so sure?"
She stopped pacing. "Because I'm smarter than you. There are things you can and will gain with a marriage to me, but I honestly think that if there were another option to getting what it is you want, you'd prefer the choice."
"You're wrong." He closed the small distance between them in a few steps, running a hand over the side of her neck and bare shoulder. Her skin crawled.
"Am I?"
"I do want to marry you." His hand reached down to her waist, powerfully pulling her body to his.
She struggled from out of his hold. "No. You want to shag me. And with that you want to grab onto the force you think I hold. You fail to notice however that I myself do not have much if anything to do within the Ministry. Especially after this marriage stunt. I intend on going into law. I am no coward."
"The law department is part of the Ministry." Draco argued.
"I can't help you Malfoy."
"I don't want your help."
"No. You want my father's help." She stood face to face with him still.
"Yes."
"You think you'll get that with my help?"
"Perhaps. If you are persuaded the right way."
"Never. Not if you go through with this."
"What do you mean?"
She crossed her arms. "I mean that if you go through with all of this, it will not help you gain anything from me or my father. If I don't like you, he won't. You'll be stuck in a loveless sham of a marriage with nothing to show but the name attached."
Fuck. Draco screamed in his head, taken aback by her arguments. She was definitely good at her job. Muggle law or Magical law, she knew how to argue her case well.
"Be reasonable Mackenzie!" He called out after her as she walked away from him out of the room. He ran out to follow her, catching up with her along the base of the foyer staircase.
"Reasonable?" She turned. Reasonable would have been you deciding to be a decent honest person, not forcing me into this marriage catastrophe. Reasonable would have been not having to be forced to lose the one person I could trust here before I lost him." She walked up the stairs, continuing to argue with him, gaining more than he knew she was.
"Reasonable would have been not having to lose the person I could possibly love."
"Loved." Draco corrected her.
"What?"
"You said love."
Mackenzie recovered her slip of the tongue "You know what I meant."
Draco stopped her walking, leading him to follow her down the hall towards her bedroom. He turned her to him.
"Malfoy, what is it?" Her hand subconsciously reached out to touch the shoulder of the man who stood in front of her with a worried look on his face. She felt sympathy towards him, knowing that everything she said, was striking nerves in him.
"Do you still have feelings for Weasley?"
Mackenzie twisted her face up into a funny expression. "You mean besides antipathy and menacing blinding heartbreak? Sure. Outrage, insult, the desire to torture him both mentally and emotionally…
"No." Draco interrupted. "I mean love. Or any feelings related to it."
"Mm-mm." She shook her head. "Absolutely not. He hurt me too much to regain any trust or feelings that I may have had."
They reached the outer area of her room, and again she pulled out her wand. Draco backed up a foot.
"Come inside." She offered, entering her bedroom as the doors opened wide.
Draco hesitated. "The last time you held me in here, I had a wand pointed at my chest."
Mackenzie smiled evilly. "Come in. I'll put my wand away if you do the same."
Draco entered. "Friends then?"
"No." She said. "Why do you want to be friends? Why now?"
"I don't know."
"Not good enough." She stated in a sing-song tone.
He nodded as she crossed her bedroom. "I've been thinking about it, and I do believe it is a good idea for us to be friends. Shouldn't we be just that before we get married?"
"Forget it." She told him.
"Look Mackenzie." He crossed to where she was. "I know it's a shitty thing for me to even ask, but it's important."
"You're right." She looked at him. "It's a very shitty thing to ask now. You can never redeem yourself. As much as I dislike admitting this, George Weasley has a better chance at redemption of my good graces long before you. It is impossible for us to be friends from this point."
"Let me try." His voice softened to her.
"How?" Hers stayed cold.
"Friendships can be rebuilt from the ground up. Let me try proving it to you."
"Friendship requires trust Malfoy."
I do not trust you."
"Likewise." He presented.
She turned in shock. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Draco crossed his own arms. "Did you know Weasley still has feelings for you?"
"Ha!" She laughed out. "That's not likely. I don't know who you get that kind of false information from, but…"
"So you had no idea?" It was more accusation than inquiry.
"How would I?"
Draco shrugged. "I don't know, but it seems that if he does still harbor feelings for you, it's probable that you still do for him. Are you or are you not over him?"
"That is a ridiculous question for you to ask. There was nothing to get over. I might have had feelings for him sure, they were beginning to grow, but I did not love the man. Besides, any feelings I did have were catastrophically obliterated when we broke up." She launched herself into a comfortable position on her couch. She grabbed at the remote of the charmed plasma screen on her wall. "I'm on board here Malfoy." The remote twirled in her hand.
"What's this?" He motioned his hand to the television on the wall.
"It's my television." But she'd forgotten. Not only had she not ever seen a television in the wizarding world, they didn't have them. Muggle devises, she recalled.
"Daddy charmed it to properly work under the wards of the Manor, along with everything attached to it." She finished as she turned her head to see the man off to her side eyeing the box on the table in front of her suspiciously. She smiled a bit.
"What's the matter Malfoy?"
His eyes shot over to her with a guilty expression.
"What's that?" He pointed to the box.
"Oh, that? It's my Wii." She casually mentioned, moving her feet from the couch to the top of the table. She grabbed the controller and offered it to him to hold.
"It's your what?"
"It's my Wii. It's a video gaming system. It's muggle, but actually a lot of fun. Very interactive. Do you want to try it?"
"No. I don't think so."
Mackenzie set the control down. "Want to try the x-box instead?"
"What's an x-box?" Draco looked cautiously over at her.
She motioned for him to sit beside her as she turned on her system and explained the general idea of video games to him.
"I won!" Mackenzie cheered.
"Okay." Draco was laughing. "That wasn't fair. Let me try that again.
"Oh no. I beat you fair and square this time." Mackenzie found herself laughing in return.
"I want a rematch."
"No way." She returned. "I beat you. Be bitter and deal with it. Move on. You were beat by a girl."
"I went easy on you that time. It was no where near fair." He leaned back into the couch, setting his controller beside him.
"That's your own fault. Next time, don't go easy on me and you won't be in this position." She leaned back as well, unknowingly against his arm, which found its way around her shoulders.
"So there will be a next time?"
"Yes. Just not today." She said, leaning back up again.
To even her own surprise, Mackenzie found herself in less denial than she had thirty minutes before this point. She'd had a good time with this man for the last half hour. There was nothing between them but fun and agreement. The beginnings of trust and friendship. She didn't trust him by ant stretch of the imagination, but God help her, she was having a good time getting to know him.
The two had talked while playing, mostly discussing their families. Draco had talked to Mackenzie about his parents, and Mackenzie had told Draco about her mother. They had even managed to talk about the war. Mackenzie had asked questions, and Draco albeit reluctantly, answered her questions. He had explained the reasons behind it all, how it had begun years before, and the end where Harry Potter was able to defeat Lord Voldemort.
Mackenzie laughed under her breath a bit when Draco stood from the couch and moved to the small bedroom bar Mackenzie's room held. She did not allow house elves into the sanctity of her room, so keeping drinks stocked in her bar was a must. Draco poured each a glass of water and returned.
"Thanks." She said, taking the glass from him.
She considered whether once you got passed the evil monster that settled into public view, the bastardly persona that he pushed forward, and the fact that he was still hell bent on marrying her for influential reasoning, there was a piece of this man, established deep down, that she liked. Was it wrong to think that?
Truth be told, she was truly starting to think that there may be something positive to this friends thing with Malfoy. Not only could she tyr convincing him not to marry her, but they'd be friends. He needed friends. Real ones. Was it wrong of her to want to possibly consider a friendship with him? George and many others would have her committed if they knew she thought it as a possibility. But what they didn't know…
"Come on Malfoy." She said, standing up, offering her hand to help him from the couch to. "I have work to do today. And then I've got to pack."
Mackenzie winced as she'd said the words, forgetting to warn him that she'd be out of sight or reach for an entire week as she'd be marrying and honeymooning with her husband in that time. She had however come up with a perfect plan to keep him from discovering her whereabouts or her company.
"Pack?" She heard him ask. "Where are you going?"
She saw the look on his face turn positively uncertain and definitely distrustful.
"Daddy has decided that I need a few days to myself after having been bombarded with a surprise engagement sprung on me." She lied, keeping her voice calm and light.
"I'm not sure where exactly he is sending me." That was truth. She really wasn't sure where she'd be spending her week long honeymoon as her soon to be mother and father –in-law would not tell her or George where they planned on sending the newlyweds off to. All they said was that it would be safer that way.
"When will you be back?"
"In a week Malfoy. And from there, we will push full force through everything wedding related."
Mackenzie guided him towards the door.
"Draco." He said, leaving her room.
"What?"
"My friends call me Draco."
Mackenzie smiled. "Mine call me Kenny." She slowly closed the door as he smiled back at her.
END CHAPTER
(Thanks to all of you who are hanging in there with this story. We're just getting started, so I'll have another chapter up soon. Possibly two. This is writing so easily. Until chapter 9… )