Chapter Three: An Understanding Love

Taking a deep breath I squeezed Callum's hand, firmly lodging it in my own, letting him know that this was it, now or never, and he had better not leave me now because I was as unhinged as I was going to get. The dinner invitations had been sent out. It was going to be a formal family dinner, and Mom, Dad, and Scorpius, his wife and son, didn't have a clue that Callum was coming. I didn't have the strength to tell them.

Callum felt the tug of his hand and leaned over to whisper in my ear, "It's going to be alright."

That was easy for him to say. My father was once a youth Death Eater who had lived his worst days in this house with my gargoyle of a grandfather. My mother was a pretentious snob who wanted me seated with a pureblood, as if to stamp out the muggle blood that was already in my system. And well, my brother was my brother, and he would always support me, but this might have been a little more drastic in his eyes. He had said find someone myself. Well I'd found him. And he happened to be more of a muggle than my real mother had been.

"How can you be sure?" I asked tentatively.

He kissed my cheek, "Because I'm gonna marry you no matter what your parents say."

I looked at him and saw the sincerity gleaming from his eyes. He really would. I was so proud to have met him. "Thank you," I said, taking my arms and wrapping them around his torso. He kissed the top of my head next. "Thank you so much."

Chuckling as I released him he said, "Take a deep breath," and I did so, then, "Now let's go."

I reached for the door latch and pushed. It rushed open and I presented Callum with Malfoy Foyer. A long stone staircase led off to the left to the second floor. There were long rails that spanned the halls of the upstairs, allowing those to see down to the front door. Malfoy Manor was graced with spacious lawns and a large area within which its buildings had been built. The main wing was to the right of the house from the front door, heading south, to where my bedroom was at the top of the South Tower. My brother had resided in the North Tower five years ago before he'd gotten married. I walked through the foyer letting Callum take in the Baroque architecture, the ancient feel to the structure, and the less than welcoming sense it gave off.

Astoria was standing at the top of the stairs and I lifted my head proudly, tightening my grip on Callum's arm. "Mother," I greeted.

"Christiana," she said, gliding down the staircase, her silk skirt rustling as she descended, her pearl earrings bobbing with the movement. Astoria maintained her short blonde hair throughout her life and now, as it turned to white, some missed the difference because it had been so strikingly blonde when she was younger. She held herself with an air of sophistication. "You have brought a guest."

"I have," I replied. "Where is Father?" I inquired, wishing to make the grand announcement with everyone present so my mother didn't have the chance to run off to my Father spouting untrue tales.

"Here," came a voice to my left. My father, Draco, walked into the room, and right behind him was Scorpius, with Belle bringing up the rear, cradling in her arms tiny Gregory. Gregory was three-months-old and had light brown hair. Scorpius narrowed his eyes first at me then at Callum.

Wetting my lips I was praying to whatever higher power there was that I had enough strength to get through this night. My father went to my mother's side, placing his hand on the small of her back possessively, an act that no one failed to miss. "Who is your young suitor?" he asked.

"This," I managed to squeak out, "Is Callum, my fiancé."

I got exactly the reaction I had braced myself for. Astoria's eyes nearly bulged out of her head, Scorpius' eyes widened with surprise, Belle tightened her lips, making her look like a fish, and my father stepped forward, cracking his knuckles menacingly. I took a step in front of Callum, just as a precaution.

"Fiancé?" my father repeated. "Since when?"

Before I could speak Callum had stepped forward as well, hand outstretched, "We became engaged a week ago, sir. I'm Callum MacArthur. It's good to meet you."

My father, as cold as ever, just looked at the hand before him, his lower lip curled and he looked Callum dead in the eye, saying, "We shall see. We shall see. Dinner Christiana."

Draco turned back to Astoria then and my mother finally found her voice box in working order. She looked at my father, almost scared, scared for her reputation, and whispered, "Who is he? Do we know his parents?" I almost smiled at her because I knew damn well that his parents weren't on her radar anymore than she knew how to work a telephone. I watched my mother and father leave the main foyer up the hall towards the dining room while Scorpius and Belle watched me.

"I'm going to the room, Scorpius," Belle literally whined, "I can tell that this evening is just going to upset me." She threw a daggers stare towards Callum and then took baby Gregory up the stairs towards her room. Two sickles said she wasn't expecting to see Scorpius for the rest of the night.

Scorpius then put his hand into his black pant pocket and pulled out two silver coins. He flicked them and I caught them with a well practiced left-hand. "You'd be quite right, Sis," he said. "Callum MacArthur." Callum turned to him. "You are going to marry my sister?"

Callum kept a firm grasp on my right hand and replied, "I intend to, yes."

Scorpius came forward and cocked his head towards me, asking the unasked question that I understood almost immediately. "Yes," I answered coolly. "He is a muggle."

Scorpius's gaze didn't waver. Heaving a huge breath he said, "Well shoot, Sis, you took it seriously didn't ya? Don't worry about Mom and Dad, I told ya. Well Callum, if you manage to survive the night and pass as 'Acceptable' on my parents' grading scale, then I'll welcome you as a brother."

"Thank you?" Callum said.

"Oh, you should be thanking me," Scorpius replied, taking a step towards the dining room. "Because if you go in there, you've got one more ally at that table. If this gets ugly, you've got one more wand out to save your butt rather than cursing it." He then turned to me. "You're sure about this?"

I nodded, "Absolutely."

Scorpius smiled, "Let's get this party started then. Roast beef for dinner. Muggle for breakfast anyone?"

My mouth gaped, "Scorpius!"

He flashed me a quick smile, "Only joking. Muggle for breakfast is awful."

I lifted my wand out and sent a quick zap aimed at my brother's butt. It missed, whizzing right by down the hall just before he disappeared into the dining room. I pocketed my wand to look at Callum. He was looking very pale, and his eyes were shaking back and forth. "Hey," I said, placing my hand on his cheek.

His eyes fell to me. "Was this a good idea?" he muttered. I could tell that his previous bravado had failed him after the cold and brief encounter with my father and the joke my brother had played on him.

I chuckled lightly; knowing that if I full out laughed it would be my head on the chopping block. "It'll be fine. Scorpius was only joking. And remember what you told me?"

His colour returned and he looked down at me warmly, "That I'll marry you no matter what."

I nodded, "Well that goes for me too. I'm gonna marry you no matter what my parents say. I don't need their approval. I just need them to know I'm not afraid of them. Maybe that's the only way to earn their respect. Now come on," I took his hand, "let's have dinner."

***

She held her chin high as she walked into her father's study. Callum sat outside, stiff as a board, trying his darndest not to think too much of what they could possible be saying. They had all sat on pins and needles the entire dinner. Chris kept throwing him hopeful glances. She and Scorpius exchanged few words and with her parents even fewer. The dinner was stiff. The food was delicious but Callum tasted none of it due to the cold atmosphere. From what little he'd seen of the house and now the dining room, he could tell that Malfoy Manor was more like a mausoleum than a home. It was cold and isolated, just as Christiana's parents seemed to be. Scorpius had at least opened up to him and given him the benefit of the doubt. But now as Christiana walked into her father's study Callum felt Scorpius's gaze bare heavily down on him.

Clearing his throat, bringing his attention to Callum, Scorpius paced the hallway. Astoria had already excused herself from the room, climbing the stairs while staring daggers through Callum. A shiver went through his spine and then Scorpius spoke. "It took courage for you to come here tonight."

Gulping, Callum nodded in agreement, for he had been thinking the same thing the entire night. Also that and what he had gotten himself into. He was now on the bad side of a family of powerful wizards and witches and all he had done was love their daughter.

Scorpius continued, "It will take even greater courage to walk out of here tonight."

"What do you mean?" Callum asked, suddenly confused. What was Scorpius trying to say?

"I can hear every word that is being exchanged in that room. I know what my father is going to say to Christiana. I know that this match is not going to be allowed." Callum stood up, suddenly defensive. "As brave as you are MacArthur, you are no match for my parents. I will stand to protect you but it will be easier still if you just walked out."

"Walked out on Christiana? I can't leave her, not when I promised—"

"I know what you promised!" Scorpius hissed. His grey-blue eyes suddenly flashed and Callum's bravado waivered slightly. "You promised to stand by her. But little good that will do when you are dead!"

"Dead?" Callum managed to whisper. "They…"

"They plan on making you disappear from their little girl's life forever. The signs they passed at dinner said it all, even without my ability to read their thoughts. But I cannot kill my father to ensure his little girl's happiness. Leave now or I will send you." Scorpius drew his wand.

Callum hesitated, "But…"

"Go now!"

He glanced at the door where Christiana was and then glanced back at Scorpius. "I hope you're right," was all he said before rushing off down the hallway and out the front door. He was in his car before he could count to ten and flying down the road towards his home. Their home. He hoped she could find it in her heart to forgive him.

***

"Christiana, you are my daughter, and I will not allow you to marry a muggle!" He stood menacingly by the fireplace hearth, the red flames seeming to lick at his tall a domineering figure.

"I am a grown woman Father," I recounted. "I am old enough to make my own decisions."

"But are you old enough to know your own heart?"

"If I don't then it is my mistake to make and you cannot keep me from this." I would stand firm against my parents. I had already seen to Callum's safety, telling Scorpius to make him leave at whatever cost, and now it was time to solidify his role in my life.

"You are my daughter Christiana!"

"And as your daughter I have the right to some freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and the freedom to follow my heart. You have never understood me, Father. You have tried. You have wanted all the best for me, including a husband. Do you realize that the arrangement you forced Scorpius into is crumbling before your very eyes? Can't you see that he is miserable and has been for the past five years in keeping up this façade."

"Scorpius can take care of himself. If he knows what's right for him, he will remedy the situation."

"And we both know how that will end, Father. He is going to leave Belle. You say he can take care of himself, why can I not take care of myself too?"

"You are too young?"

"I am not too young. I am twenty-one and of perfect legal age to do as I please. I know what I want, Father. I want what you had."

"What I had?" his expression of anger and frustration went blank before hitting confusion.

"What you had with Mum."

"Your mother and I never felt the illusion of love for one another. We were practical and logical. Besides, your mother is an upstanding member of the wizarding society—"

"I'm not talking about Astoria, Dad. I'm talking about my mother. Her name was Hermione Granger if you'll recall." It was a painful memory to resurface for my father. Draco Malfoy had never been allowed to love Hermione Granger. They kept their love a secret as long as they could.

"What I had…with…Hermione." My father repeated it before turning towards the stone fireplace that blazed behind him. His white hair gleaming in the light, the wrinkles on his face accentuated making him look every bit the sixty-year-old man that he was.

"Dad," I said, moving to his side as he braced himself against the hearth. "Dad, I know the kind of love you and Mum had. Scorpius told me. Why can't you let me feel that too?"

He took a great sigh and replied quietly, revealing a bit of himself that I had never seen before. "Because I lost your mother," he said. "That muggle disease almost broke me in two. Your mother almost broke me in two. It came so swift, so sudden, I wasn't prepared. We have fortifying genes in our bodies that help us fight off those kinds of diseases. I will not have the same pain upon you."

A tear trailed down my cheek as I watched my father uncover the emotions he had long since buried. He was a Malfoy, and his upbringing had forced him to continuously hide all his feelings. His face was contorted from the pain he was feeling again. He took out his wand and waved it once into the air, conjuring up a holographic image of my mother. Her brown hair and brown eyes shone towards him. She laughed, she smiled, she cried, and she called out his name before placing a single hand on her stomach, the stomach where I instinctively knew I was growing at the time.

The image disappeared and my father's face had gone placid again. "Dad," I went over and placed my hand on his arm, "I love Callum. I love him every bit as much as Mum loved you. I know you don't want to be the cause of that kind of pain by separating us. Callum and I will take care of each other. I want that happiness, please Dad."

My father was torn between his feelings and my own. Not to mention my step-mother's, who would be furious when she found out what had happened. Somehow I knew that things were going to work out just fine.

He reached out and brushed the back of his hand across my cheek. "Baby Girl," he whispered before leaning forward and placing a kiss on my forehead. "My only desire in life is for you to be happy." He nodded his head and a smile lit up my face instantly. "You have my blessing."

"Thank you Daddy," I said, sailing into his arms, holding him tight.

There was a knock on the door and Scorpius entered. My father beckoned him to us while still clinging to me. Scorpius walked forward but stopped before us. "I sensed the mood of the room and I…I have something….I'd like to say." My father acknowledged him. "I am getting a divorce."

Our father's jaw tightened, his brow furrowing and he opened his mouth to rant and rail at Scorpius, but he wasn't given the chance. I gave him a look saying I had warned him this was coming and then Scorpius continued. "I will support little Gregory, give him the father he has missed out on. He is not my son, but I will love him as my own. I cannot stay married to Belle any longer however. I will not surrender my happiness any longer. Please respect my decision, Father."

Father seemed to consider this very carefully. Finally, after what could have been hours, but in reality were mere minutes, he nodded his head. "Your happiness is your own Scorpius. Proceed as you wish. You will always have the respect and backing of your father. Your mother…might be a different story."

"I will deal with Mother," Scorpius said simply, carrying every confidence in the world. "Now Chris," he said to me, "You have a worried fiancé pacing the length of his study at his house. You'd best see that that."

Thank you Scorpius, I thought. Thank you for keeping him safe.

And then I heard it. Through the cracks in my mind I could feel the edge of a muffled noise creeping its way through. It was barely audible at first, and then it smashed through the mental barrier and Scorpius's inner voice resounded throughout my head. My pleasure, Baby Girl, he is a fine young man.

I ran over, kissed him on the cheek and raced out of my father's study.

***

He was wearing a line on to the floor of his office. He was chewing on his fingernails, a habit he had dropped when he was twelve years old. His mind was racing with questions. The threat on his life had his heart beating faster. The sound of the floorboard creak behind him made him swivel on the spot and come face to face with a woman with blonde hair and brown eyes, an uncommon, yet not unheard of combination.

Before he could spurt out his apologies for leaving her in such a hurry, she whispered, "Kiss me," and made lip contact before he could process the words.

He lost himself in the kiss, found himself wishing for the best, daring to believe that her father had given his consent. She pulled back and smiled deliriously, "You'd be right," she said.

His eyes blinked with shock. He opened his mouth to speak again. She silenced him with a finger. "He was persuaded to believe you were to my benefit. I told him that I loved you the way my mother had loved him. The way my muggle mother, who died of breast cancer two years after I was born, loved him during their torrid affair. I convinced him that I loved you that much. Now don't think about it. Don't talk about it. Just kiss me."

He couldn't help but smile. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of tears and pride, and a sense of affection that could only be emanating from her. She had heard his thoughts, and he would ask about that later. Right now, he would do as she asked, because for better or worse, richer or poorer, 'til death do they part, he would do his best to make her happy. God help him, he loved her so and he was going to marry her.


Author's Note: Here we go. The final chapter. Please leave a review! Thanks a million!