Chapter 11 Meet the Future Mrs. Malfoy [Tell That Girl to Shut Up by Transvision Vamp]
That Sunday morning Draco received an owl from Bianca, his fiancée. "I must speak with you. Please be in your study at 8 PM tonight." Of his five encouraged marriages, with the exception of Bianca, he had cancelled all of them. Bianca hailed from the very old and very proud Gasparo Family, with Leone Gasparo as head of it, a man who made his own father look like a teddy bear. Draco spent many summers in Rome as a child so they would know each other. He and Bianca went on a couple of dates as teenagers but nothing serious. Since the fall of Voldemort, they exchanged owls, mostly pep talk. They had fun together and he cared deeply for her. Now that they were of age, he knew the expectation.
Precisely at 8 PM, in his fireplace, the head of a very attractive Italian girl his age appeared. She had long straight black hair, oval face, brown eyes, full lips and an olive complexion. "Buonasera Draco!"
He spoke Italian to her. "Good Evening Bianca, or should I say the future Mrs. Malfoy?"
"Oh let's not start that. If we love each other, then it would be. If not, I am far too passionate to be stuck in a loveless marriage and I believe the same of you." She gave him the all-knowing look. Bianca had an acute perspicacity, a rare gift but common in her family that when coupled with psychology enabled her to gleam insights into people's motives and feelings by the slightest of actions. "That is why you turned down the others."
"I feel nothing for the rest of them but I have not given up all of the old ways."
"You are a stubborn one." She pressed her lips in a pout that would have melted most men. "Either way, I need your help. Mi papa wants me to marry this horrible man but I told him I could not, because we were still engaged." She sighed. "I told papa that we still had feelings for each other from when we were younger and that we were going through with the marriage. I need to convince my papa that we are are in love. Please help." She looked straight through him. "This will help you with your father as well."
"Very well," he agreed.
"Good. I will be at the Hogwarts' courtyard at ten tomorrow morning with mi papa." She flipped her hair. "And you, Draco Malfoy, will convince him that we are passionately in love." She smiled. "Goodnight."
Maybe I do love her? When he found out that Pierre Budois dumped Bianca after a six month affair with her, Draco was infuriated. During the past year, Draco intercepted any witch Pierre showed an interested in as retaliation. Of course, Pierre did likewise.
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The next morning, Draco sat in the courtyard with some students tutoring defense strategies, Muggle borns included, while Hermione tutored potions with another group of students. All heads turned to the far corner of the courtyard. A striking Italian vision, in a shimmering electric blue mini dress, whose long black hair cascaded beneath a metallic blue hat, crossed with long leggy strides. "Who is that?" They asked in unison.
"That is my fiancée," Draco casually answered as he hesitantly moved to greet her.
"Oh Draco," she yelled. Everyone in the courtyard turned to watch the drama unfold. "My love, I have missed you." She threw her arms around him and kissed him passionately, several times. Draco saw her father walking, slower and more dignified, towards them in the distance. "Tell me how much you love me and play along. This is for both of us," she whispered.
"I love you so much," he said loudly so her father could hear him even at a distance. He tried to keep a polite distance between them. "I'm sorry. This is wrong," he whispered. I feel like I'm kissing my sister.
Bianca looked him in the eyes with a very shrewd look. She hugged him more and whispered in his ear. "My poor Draco, pretend I'm her." A vision of Hermione flashed before him, looking at him lovingly. Pulling her close so he could feel every curve, he kissed her softly and deeply, savoring each moment.
When he heard someone clearing his throat, he released Bianca and merely held her arm. Her father, a tall, olive skinned, man of fifty, with long salt and pepper hair and pencil thin mustache, stood proudly, wearing a brown cape with burnt umber highlights, the color of the Gasparo family crest. He shook Leone's hand. "It's nice to see you again, sir."
"Good to see you. It's clear to me that you love each other very much." Smiling warmly, he patted Draco on the back. "You may marry my daughter." As he motioned for them to go somewhere and speak in private, he turned to his daughter. "I'm so glad you chose someone with proper breeding."
Draco and Bianca nodded as Leone planned an engagement announcement and party for them. "Sir, I would like to do this next year. I want to finish my internship first and make headway on my career. Then I can devote all my attention to Bianca."
"That is wise. My daughter wishes to stay at Hogwarts and do an internship with Professor Sprout. They have assured her a private room." After discussing further arrangements, he hugged and kissed his daughter goodbye.
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Afterwards, Draco adjourned to his home. That evening, Bianca waited for him in his study, toying with his Falsus Plume, with a Cheshire grin. "Tell me all about the witch who has captured your heart."
Draco sat in his favorite armchair. "No witch has captured my heart." She gave him a look of disbelief. "There's a witch but it is strictly lust." Now, he paced. "A physical thing, that's all it is. I'll have one fling. Then you and I will get married. We get along. Something more will come of it. This is what we should do. Everything will be the way it should be."
"You are in love with another woman." Bianca just kept looking at him, shaking her head in disbelief. "I think it's wonderful."
"I am absolutely, positively NOT in love with her. Unrequited lust is all it is...and friendship. She's forbidden fruit."
"Of course, you're not in love with her," she said in a patronizing way. "But let's be honest with each other. You and I are not happening now and nor did we ever have anything. We are friends who have sibling feelings." She got up and took his hand. "So tell me about this big case of, hmm, lust and friendship you have."
"She's very clever, warm and loving, adorable and has the sweetest smile." He thought it over. "Oh damn." He slumped back in his chair. "What am I going to do? I can't be in love. I won't allow it. It'll pass."
"Of course, it will." She hugged him. "Tell me more. I will keep your secret."
"She doesn't love me at all. As a matter of fact, she loves someone else very much." He gathered his thoughts. "Even if she didn't love him, she could never love me and our relationship would never be allowed." He thought about how horribly he had treated her over the years the reactions of his family and friends. "Not that I want anything more than a quick affair, just to get her out of my system."
She looked at him sadly. "Because she is Muggle born," she remarked as she patted his back. "Poor Draco, we will tackle this problem together." Then she gave him a pouty look. "I need you to pop into Hogwarts every evening around nine. Since you're interning, you have a portkey, right?" Draco nodded. "Good, every night and come to my room for just a minute or two then sneak out virtually unseen so that everyone thinks we really are together. It'll be expected if we are to pretend we're in love."
"Fine," he agreed.
She kissed his cheek. "Thanks you're a doll. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." He wondered why she wanted to be so helpful.
