CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Short A/N: Here is chapter 16 for all of you. Enjoy it. I'm about to get into some real fun and drama with the story.
And thanks to 'Susetkisses' for the great review.
Mackenzie's head was in a downward tailspin when she left Malfoy Manor. How that boorish man could go as far to do something like this to her was beyond comprehension. She wasn't angry. She was furious. She wanted to scream, but knew she couldn't do that quite yet. She had made a quick excuse to escape the Manor before her fiance had thoughts of kissing her goodnight. The blow to the heart he'd given her would be nothing compared to the blow to his face she'd have given him if forced to stay. She apparated immediately to Chase Manor, knowing that was where she would find her father .
"Daddy!" She called out, rampaging into the house. "Daddy, I need you." She sounded frantic, and received even more of a shock to her system when a red-haired man ran out from the back parlour, his eyes wide as he heard the panic in his wife's voice.
"Kenny? Mackenzie, what? The matter?" He rushed to her.
"George, what are you doing here?" She questioned her alarmed looking husband.
"Your dad asked me to stop by." George answered her. "What's going on? Why do you sound so scared? What happened? Did Malfoy touch you? If he did anything to you, I'll…"
"No George. He hasn't touched me." She moved further into the house. "Actually, before I talk to daddy," She momentarily lowered and calmed her voice. "I'd like to talk to you." She pulled him back into the lounge and closed the door.
She quickly informed him of Draco's latest idea of having her and George engage in a final "heart to heart". George chuckled, knowing all about the idea. It had been his idea after all.
"I'd have preferred it happen the other morning. I wanted to see you. But clearly Malfoy does not run on mine or anyone else's schedule. I want to spend time with you."
"George, he wants to be there as well. You and I will have to produce another false row. I don't want to fight with you baby. It destroys me to have to feign anger towards you, especially when I know your anger comes from a real place. You're visibly angry at Draco and it comes out in the arguments. I never know where the words between us will take us."
"Ken," George approached her. "I love you so much. You are everything to me. I wish I could explain how much you mean to me. When we're fighting for the benefit of Malfoy or anyone else…" He paused for a few moments, thinking of the best way to respond to his wife, looking for a response that would cheer her up.
"Do you remember the first day we met, when you quite facetiously asked me if our fighting is a turn on?"
"I vaguely recall the conversation. I remember it ended with me getting to take advantage of you."
George chuckled. "I really do think that I fell in love with you that day Mackenzie."
The two stayed quiet for a few moments, remembering the day that they'd met before George went on.
"Well, our fighting isn't a turn on to me, but a simulated row with you..all I can think of is shagging you again, knowing that I get to do just that."
Mackenzie laughed as George hugged her to him. She wrapped her arms around him.
"So, we're okay? We'll be okay after…"
George kissed the top of her head. "Kenny, we're always alright. We always will be."
"Why don't we plan a romantic night at home together, just the two of us after our "fight" tomorrow." Mackenzie suggested.
"There is nowhere else I'd rather be sweetheart."
With their breathing normalized and their words much calmer, Mackenzie stood back away from her husband, pulling out a stack of papers from her purse.
"There is something I need to show you." She spoke. She threw the papers Draco had given her onto a nearby chair.
"What's going on Kens?" George's smile disappeared when his wife turned serious once more.
"We can't do this."
George stiffened at her comment. "Do what Ken?"
She fell into another chair. "We…I can't do this to him."
"Who? Malfoy?"
"No." She shook her head. "Daddy. I can't let him get himself caught up in this mess with Draco. He's in a very sensitive position, and…"
"Why?" George questioned. "What's happened? What are these papers for?" He picked them up and began reading through them. "I don't understand what all of this means." He said.
"It's a magical pre-nuptial contract, with a lot of twists and legally binding statements that even I don't understand. I need to take this to my father."
"He's in his study. I'll come with you. I was just on my way back to see him."
The two picked up the papers, grasped hands, and left the lounge, making their way back down the corridor to the Minister's Study. Mackenzie knocked rapidly on the door, gaining immediate entrance as Samuel called that the door be opened.
"Daddy, we have a problem. He expects these to be signed." Mackenzie started to rant as she walked through the doors, dropping the contract pages onto her father's desk. "I'm in a lot of trouble if there is a demand for me to sign this."
The first page of the contract Samuel picked up was a marriage contract signed by Lydia Price, Bottom of FormSimon S Simon Jorkins, and Draco Malfoy, still needing Mackenzie's signature to be legally binding. As he read, his own anger began to build.
"This …I will not allow this to happen! He has gone to far!" Samuel was close to shouting.
"What does it say?" George asked the two.
"This contract would essentially make my daughter the "concubine" of Draco Malfoy. She would lose her freedom. Not only would he gain monetarily, but he would also ensure the sexual gratification of marriage."
George saw red. Mackenzie furiously went on her tirade, explaining further to her husband.
"It also states very clearly that it is the husband's duty to provide his family in law with financial security. If that is not necessary, as is the case here, In exchange for payment or financial security, the husband receives what is referred to as "ownership hegemony of marriage. The marriage contract binds the wife to him. It is a prerequisite for lawful intercourse. Because the husband possesses the control, he and he alone can unilaterally end the marriage at any time by a pronouncement of repudiation. If the wife wishes to end the marriage, she must pay her husband to gain his agreement, or I she has the proper grounds, she can seek a divorce. " Mackenzie took in a deep breath.
"A marriage contract like this is, if drafted and signed properly is as binding as any other contract, and with magic behind it, it's even more so. The only grounds for disagreement we do have however is that a contract drafted in writing, must be signed by both parties, the signatures must be witnessed, and there must be honest negotiations leading up to signing."
"But all of this is irrelevant." George mentioned. "You're not marrying Malfoy."
"He doesn't know that yet. And if he thinks for one second that I will sign anything remotely as degrading as this,…" Mackenie fumed.
"Well then that settles it." Samuel spoke. Both his daughter and son-in-law looked over at him in question. "We will have to go public. You two will have to be seen together and Mr. Malfoy will have to be told that…"
"No." Mackenzie insisted. "Not yet. I cannot bear to do this to him yet."
"What else can we do Kenny?" George asked her.
Mackenzie went through many different options in her head. "Let me see what I can do first. Please." She pleaded with the men who looked ready to kill.
"You have two days." Samuel agreed.
George reluctantly agreed only with the knowledge that he would soon have his wife to himself.