Written By: xxPyRaxx
Disclaimer: Claimed in the second chapter.
"Don't Marry Me"
Verse 7:
I'm devoted to my lovely daughter,
And she is my pride and joy,
I would always side with her against you,
Baby, Don't marry me.
Author's Note: I know that I haven't been updating very often and I am sorry but I have been VERY busy with school work. Since I am a full-time student, I have a huge work load and I also have a lot of assignments that were coming due and also midterms and finals to pass. And now I am going through my first placement which provides me with LOADS of work to get done. It is a four week placement so my last day will be on June 7th. I will try to post the LAST two chapters for this fiction sometime after my last day. Again, I'm sorry for taking so long to update. Please Stay with me!
Chapter Seven
~.~
I'm Devoted to my Lovely Daughter
After Christmas, the rest of winter slowly crawled into spring like molasses. Eventually, the snow melted and disappeared, leaving puddles of water in the fresh green grass and onto the paved streets. It didn't take long for the toys that Cassi received from Santa, to be left all over the floor of the townhouse. Magnolia has stepped on countless of her new toys and she slipped on Cassi's toy wand a few times.
Shortly after Christmas, Draco had been spending more and more time in the house and it wasn't long before Draco moved in. Little Cassi saw it as another playmate in the house. Maggie saw it as another hand to help around the house and Draco saw it as the next step in their near marriage— once she says yes.
Magnolia wasn't wrong, Draco was helpful around the house. He helped with cooking and he also he helped take care of Cassiopeia; not that he didn't do any of those things before. In the last few weeks, Draco had another task under his belt; helping young Cassi learn her lines for the school's play. The play was a Muggle classic; The Wizard of Oz and Cassi was playing the green skinned Wicked Witch of the West. At the beginning of the practices, Draco had no trouble voicing his confused understand of why Muggles thought so poorly of the Wizarding World or criticizing over small aspects such as wearing black hats. At first, Maggie answered and responded to each of his questions and compliments seriously but than as Draco's wonders became more and more ridiculous, Maggie couldn't help but giggle in amusement; which only caused Draco to end with a mumble that "I will never understand Muggles".
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Cassiopeia was excited to be in the play and playing a witch, just like she knew her mother was, but Cassi didn't understand why she was playing such a mean witch. As soon as she realized that her character wasn't nice, the excitement of being in the play quickly faded and it turned into defiance.
"I don't wanna be in the play anymore" Cassiopeia said as she came from the living room after another practice with Draco.
"Why not? You were so excited to be in it" Maggie responded.
"My character is so mean Momma".
"Cassi, your character is supposed to be mean. That's why she's wicked".
"I don't wanna be mean, Momma" Cassi replied, "Lola is my friend".
Lola was playing the lead in the play, she was playing the role of Dorothy Gale.
"Come here Cassi" Maggie beckoned to her daughter as she walked away from the kitchen counter, where she was preparing dinner for that night.
With devotion, Cassi followed her mother out of the kitchen and towards where she just came from.
"Cassi, I told you not to bug your mom" Draco blurted out when he saw them come in.
"It's okay Draco" Maggie responded, "I don't mind. But could you finish dinner please?"
"Uh, yeah sure".
"You just have to finish chopping the vegetables and than but them in the stew. Thank you" she thanked as Draco stood up from he couch.
"No problem" he responded and than when he was close enough, he pressed his lips to hers for a quick kiss before he continued on his way.
Maggie and Cassi sat beside each other on the couch.
"Now. Tell me why you don't want to be a part of the play anymore?"
With a sigh, Cassi snuggled up to her mother's side. She placed her head on her mother's shoulder and wrapped an arm around the front of her waist.
"I don't wanted to be wicked".
"You're not going to really be mean to Lola" Maggie tried to explain so her daughter would be able to understand, "So you won't really be hurting her feelings".
"I don't understand Momma" Cassi replied as she look up at her mother. Mother and daughter locked gazes for a few seconds before Maggie thew her head back and sighed. How could she explain this simple enough for Cassi to grasp?
"Um... you like to play dress up," Maggie stated which Cassi nodded to, "When you wear Momma's clothes and make up you pretend you're Momma, right?"
"Yeah" Cassi responded and she cuddled closer to her mother's warmth, "It's fun being you".
Maggie smiled a very small smile, "Well, you're not really Momma when you play dress up. It's , only for pretend".
Cassi nodded once more and Maggie began to run her fingers through her daughter's hair.
"Being in this play is a lot like when you pretend your Momma when you play dress up. You're dressed up like a mean witch and being mean to Lola's dress up character, but you're not being mean to your friend. I don't think your teacher would let anyone be mean to each other. Do you think she would do such a thing?" Maggie asked her little girl as she looked down at her.
Cassi shook her head negatively, "No. She doesn't like it when someone is mean to others".
"That's right" Maggie agreed, "You see, you're being mean to Lola's dress up character not to Lola. Understand now?"
Cassi nodded.
Silence enveloped the room for a few minutes before Cassi broke it.
"Momma, are witches really mean?" the girl asked, "Like my play character is?"
Maggie didn't answer right away because she had to stop herself from saying yes, since she was thinking of Bellatrix Lestrange, but she didn't want to scare her child into thinking that being a witch was a bad thing...like she herself was taught.
"There are more good witches like the Good Witch of the North than there bad witches like the Wicked Witch of the West but it is the nice and good witches that get far in life. Remember that Sweetheart."
"Okay Momma".
"Do you think I will be a good witch or a bad witch when I get my letter?"
"Oh, you'll definitely be a good witch because you already care about your friends, like Lola".
"Yeah, and you Momma. And Uncle Harry and Aunt Ginny. And Teddy and Draco, and-"
Maggie laughed, "Yes, you have a very large heart to care about all those people. I believe that you will be a very good witch" and than Maggie placed a loud kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"Momma, I don't want to read my lines anymore" Cassi complained.
"That's alright Sweetheart, you can practice more tomorrow. Would you like to go play in your room or would you like to help me and Draco with dinner?"
"Play in my room".
"Okay, Sweetie. I'll come get you when dinner is ready".
With that said, Cassi hopped off the couch and made her way upstairs to her bedroom.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
"What was that about?" Draco asked once Maggie joined him in the kitchen. Draco stood at the counter with his back towards her, slicing and chopping vegetables for the stir-fry.
"Don't worry about it, Drake. I explained the misunderstanding. What did you do while I was talking?"
"I put the chicken in the wok, so it's cooking now, and I'm just finishing the vegetables".
"Okay, I put the noodles on before you took over. So, there's nothing left to do once the vegetables are in the wok too".
"We have some time to kill than" Draco concluded much to slyly.
"And just what do you have in mind?"
Draco came closer to her. He was close enough for their bodies to just graze each other before he turned her around so her back was facing his chest. With ease he wrapped his arms around her stomach and pulled her closer until their bodies did this time press against each other.
"There's lot's we can do", Draco answered and his arms tightened slightly around her slim waist
"We could talk", Draco pressed a kiss to her cheek.
"We could laugh", Draco pressed a kiss to her jaw.
"We could kiss", Draco pressed a kiss to her neck.
"We could-" Draco began to say with his lips hovering over her shoulder but Maggie cut him off.
"Not with Cassi upstairs, we're not" she protested at his next suggestion.
Draco smiled before he pressed his lips to her shoulder before he continued with his mouth so close to her right ear, "Fair enough" he whispered, "If you don't want to do any of those other suggestions than we could always...dance".
Maggie never noticed that with each kiss he pressed against her skin and each suggestion he spoke, Draco's fingers were intertwining in her's until with the very last word that she whispered in her ear. Maggie let out a gasp of surprise as Draco tightened his fingers around hers and than whipped her around as she was pushed away from Draco's warmth and spun across the the kitchen and she gently crashed into the side of a counter.
Draco couldn't help but to laugh at the surprised expression upon her face. Unlike Draco, Magnolia was not amused.
"Draco!" she scolded, "That wasn't funny".
"Yes it was" Draco laughed
"You're going to pay for that, Malfoy" she vowed as she turned and gave him a glare.
"Oh, my last name. I haven't heard that in a long while" he teased her, "Honestly through I prefer it when you moan my name in pleasure after we-"
"Draco!" she yelled for him to stop talking "Cassi is right up stairs. Be quiet!"
Than she ran after him. Magnolia chased him all round the main floor and Draco halfheartedly gave her small obstacles that she could easily conquer such as placing a chair in her path and she successfully caught him by casting a feet-tangling charm on his legs; which caused him to fall forward.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
A few weeks passed and since than Draco has been planning a celebration party for himself in honour of solving his 75th case. He invited all of his partners and co-workers in the Auror department and even some of Magnolia's friends and co-workers from the hospital, so Maggie wouldn't be bored during the party. Draco arranged for a few house-elves, including Kreacher, to help serve drinks and appetizers for all the guests to enjoy while communicating with one another.
After much waiting, the night had finally arrived. Throughout the morning and afternoon, Draco; with the help from the house-elves, worked on turning the main hallway, the dinning hall and the ballroom of Malfoy Manor into an extravagant event. While he got the rooms ready, he appointed Maggie and Cassiopeia to go out to find and purchase a beautiful dress robes for them to wear that night, and the robes would be on his tab. For the day, Cassi and Maggie had done what Draco had requested of them and purchased two dress robes. They shopped everywhere; from Diagon Alley to other wizard shops from other countries, just to find two perfect dresses and they did.
By the time Maggie and Cassi returned to the manor, it was just about time for the three of them to change for the party.
"How was the dress hunt, ladies?" Draco asked the two of them when he saw them enter the dinning hall. The hall was decorated with flower arrangements along the perimeter of the room and as centre pieces on the one long table to sit at once dinner was served.
"Oh Draco, we went to so many places!" Cassi exclaimed in excitement as she hurried toward him.
"You did? Where did you two go?"
"Well, first we went to Diagon Alley but didn't find anything there. So than we went to France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Scotland,-"
"Cassi" Maggie chuckled, "Take a breath".
"Did you find a dress?" Draco asked with a smile.
Cassi nodded, "Yes! Oh Draco, I love my dress. Momma even let me pick it out myself".
"Did she? Well, where is this dress that you picked?"
"Already upstairs and hanging in her closet" Maggie answered.
"You mean I don't get to see the dresses even though I paid for them?" Draco teased lightly.
"Not until the party" Maggie responded before looking at her daughter, "C'mon, let's go get ready. I bet the guests will be here any minute".
"Okay Momma" Cassi agreed before she headed up the grand staircase.
Magnolia turned to follow her daughter, only to be stopped when Draco gently grabbing her upper arm and turning her to face him.
"I hope it will be like that for our wedding. Having to wait until the moment of the wedding to see you wearing your white gown.
"Draco, we may not be getting married. Besides, in case you haven't noticed. I gave birth, I really don't think that I will ever wear white...especially at a wedding".
At those words, Draco's grip loosened and his mouth hang up in shock.
"Maggie" Draco whispered but he was at a loss of words.
"Don't Draco. Just leave it. Now, if you'd excuse me. I have to go up and get ready for the party".
Draco felt his heart tighten as he felt her arm whisper along the pads of his fingers as she pulled it out of his grasp and than walk away. It was not only the words that she spoke that shocked him but how she said them. Just from her tone of voice and the sadness in her eyes, she truly believed that she didn't deserve to wear the colour of purity and innocence. He knew and understood that how Maggie ended up with Cassi wasn't her fault, it was something out of her control and yet she took the blame for it.
A while later, the invited guests have arrived. They all poured through the front door of the manor and scattered into the large ballroom. The men wore tuxedo dress robes and the women wore elegant gowns to celebrate Draco's success. Since it was Draco's party, he was the one who answered the door each time new arrivals arrived but both Maggie and Cassi were at his side.
Magnolia wore an emerald green short chiffon ruched babydoll style cocktail dress that reached just lightly above her knees. It had one shoulder strap with a flower applique and semi-sweetheart neckline. It was a beautiful dress that outlined her amazing curvy figure and showed a little bit of cleavage for Draco. She also wore a pair a very simple green high heeled shoes that matched the colour of her dress. Her hair was left down and it was curled into perfect ringlets.
Standing beside the elegant looking Magnolia, stood Cassiopeia. The six year old wore a very simple ivory white dress that reached just lightly past her knees with a Peter Pan collar and slightly puffy sleeves. Towards the bottom of the trim was a capital cursive C that was sewn into the fabric and tied around the waist was a thick emerald green ribbon that was tied into a bow with the tail ends hanging to about Cassi's lower back. Cassi also wore a pair of ivory white rounded toed dress shoes and matching green dress socks. Unlike Maggie's, Cassi's hair was left straight; only her hair was tied with matching ribbon from the dress, into a tight French braid.
Throughout the whole evening, Draco couldn't help but watch how his future wife— he hoped, interacted with the guests like a true mistress of the house. She greeted each and everyone guest with a smile, a handshake and a conversation openers such as asking how business was or how the rest of their families were. And as the night went on, Magnolia stood by his side with a small glass of golden honey mead in her hand and listened to the conversation that was being spoken in front of her. Half way through the conversation that Draco was having with another gentleman, Draco turned his attention to his girlfriend.
"You don't have to, stay by my side the whole time" Draco told her with kindness, "There are a lot of people here Maggie. Go on and find your friends".
"Are you sure Draco? I mean-"
"Yes. I am very sure. I can't can't be selfish and make you stay with me all night. I bet you're bored listening to us men talk about business and such. Go friend someone to talk to, I believe your brother invited some of the Weasleys".
"If your sure" she responded. Draco could tell both in her voice and on her face that she was relieved to be dismissed.
Draco raised one of her hands to his lips to kiss the back of her hand before telling her one last time to go have some fun.
Being the polite lady that she was, Magnolia said goodbye to the gentleman that Draco was talking to and left to go find someone she knew.
As Magnolia retreated, the two gentleman held a small conversation of their own about her.
"She is something" the male gentleman asked.
"That she is" Draco responded before taking a sip of his firewhiskey.
"Where ever did you get her?"
"Hogwarts" Draco answered, "We've been dating since about half way through our fourth year".
"You are a very lucky man".
"I know".
"And that child of her's-"
"Cassiopeia" Draco injected just before he took another sip of his drink.
"Yes. Yes. Little Miss Cassiopeia. She is quite energetic. How do you keep up with her?"
"It is hard sometimes. Especially just after she has sugar but she knows when she needs to calm down".
"Sounds like she keeps you young...at heart at least".
"Both Cassi and Maggie do. Maggie is just as playful and energetic as her little girl. Maggie is amazing. She beautiful, intelligent, witty, resourceful, beautiful, fun, sympathetic, understanding, an amazing cook...have I mentioned that she's beautiful?"
"Yes" the man chuckled, "that would be the third time".
"Oh".
"You are quite infatuated with her" the man complimented with a knowing smile.
"I know. I have been since the minute a saw her on the train to Hogwarts in first year. I did everything I could to impress her-"
"It worked. You've got her".
"Not yet. I'll finally have her when she agrees to be my wife".
"How is that deal coming along, is she running out of reasons for you to change her mind?"
"I don't think so, but whatever she tries to convince me of it only makes me fall more and more in love with her".
"And if she says 'no'...?"
"Than I'll wait for her. I'll wait until we are both old and grey and I'll keep asking her for her hand every week- no every day to both remind her that I still love her and that I won't stop asking until she says 'yes'".
"I think she won't agree without a strong fight".
"She wouldn't be Magnolia Potter if she didn't" Draco agreed with a chuckle and took another swing of his firewhiskey. As quickly as the conversation began over Draco's beloved began, it was over and they continued the conversation they were having before.
Magnolia wandered around the crowd, doing her best to avoid colliding with someone and spilling the wine, all the while scanning the people for any face that she may recognize. Only, the faces that surrounded her seemed to be all from the Auror department in Draco's or Harry's division.
"What is a beautiful young lady like you drinking such vile liquid?" a familiar voice whispered into her ear.
Maggie turned around to see who's face belonged to that voice. Her eyes widened in surprise and a smile formed on her lips.
"George!" she exclaimed happily and than through her arms around him, causing the wine to twirl around in the glass before settling.
"Careful" George chuckled, "I'm going to smell like honey".
"Sorry. Oh, I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?" Maggie asked as she drew away from him.
"I've been well. I've been well. I see that you haven't let yourself go since Cassiopeia came along. You still look as pretty as you did when you first came to Hogwarts. Still on Malfoy's arm, I noticed".
"Yes" Maggie agreed, "We're still together".
"And I bet the two of you are are inseparable".
"Probably".
"I haven't seen the two of you since you two came into the joke shop three years ago".
"I know. Everything has been so hectic and busy. I'm sorry, we meant to pay you a visit but-"
"It's okay Mag. Really".
"How is the joke shop going?"
"Better than I thought it would be".
"And the products are still safe...I hope".
"Of course. Of course. I don't want my customers to become ill, that would make me lose business and I can't have that. I need to make a living. Your safety regulations and cures for when products go AWOL, and that gives you business, doesn't it not?"
"It's not like I hope for patients to come pouring in" Maggie objected.
"I know. You're much too motherly".
"I don't know whether to be offended or not".
George chuckled in amusement, "No need to be offended" he told her as he wrapped an arm around her back and began to guide her toward the wall and away from the middle of the room, "It was definitely a compliment. You know, there is a rumour going around".
"A rumour?"
"Yeah, rumour is that you and Malfoy are getting married".
Maggie immediately stopped in her tracks, "What?"
"Yeah, the rumour is already all over Britain".
"How long as this rumour been going around?"
"Oh, about a couple of months".
"A couple of months?" she exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah, well for a while now. Everyone sees you two as already married only minus the wedding bands".
"They do?"
"You never noticed?"
Magnolia shook her head.
"Oh Maggie" George shook his head and teased, "For being sorted into Ravenclaw, you are not very clever when it comes to the relationship between you and Malfoy".
"Well excuse me for not being in as many relationships that you have".
"You are forgiven".
"Gee thanks" Magnolia responded with an eye roll but that only caused George to chuckle again.
"Is that all I do for you?" Maggie asked him, "A source of entertainment that you can chuckle at?"
"Yes, now. Um...where's Little Cassi? I haven't seen her in years."
"Practising her lines for a school play".
"Yes, I remember Cassi tell me about it. Honestly, a green skinned witch. Muggles certainly have an amusing sense of humour. When is this play?"
"Um..."
"Cassi tells me that is tonight".
"What?"
"Yes, she was afraid to remind you?"
"Why? Why did she tell you? Why was she afraid to tell me?"
"She just wanted me to give you small hints to help remind you besides she thought you had enough on your plate.
A shocked looked came upon her face, "What?"
"That's what she told me" George shrugged.
"I-I have to go" Maggie said as she turned around in many circles trying to find a place to set the glass that she still held down upon but did not find a table, "Um...can you do something with this?" she asked as she handed him her glass, "I have to find Cassi. If we can leave now, we can probably make it. Uh, where is she?"
"The last I saw her, she was out in the hall".
"Thank you. I promise that Cassi and I will visit more often," she leaned in and gave him a quick hug and said goodbye before she hurried to find her daughter.
Magnolia didn't need to look hard since she found her playing out her lines a few feet away from the room.
"Cassi" Maggie called out for her which she got a response for.
"Hi Momma" Cassie greeted back.
"C'mon, it's time to go".
"Where are we going?" she asked as she took her mother's outstretched hand.
"First, you are going up to your room to grab your costume while I go talk to Draco, than you and I are going to your school".
"Oh, you remembered" Cassi smiled, "Or did Uncle George drop hints?"
"Uncle George may have dropped the tiniest of hints...but I remembered the rest. C'mon or we're going to be late. When your finished getting your costume on, wait outside in the foyer and I'll meet you there. Hurry Honey".
"Okay Momma" Cassi responded before running up the stairs to the room the Malfoy's gave her "while they were visiting.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Magnolia made her way through the crowd once more, this time to find her boyfriend who was chatting among his coworkers and Slytherin friends. She didn't really know what or who they were talking about but they were laughing when she reached them.
"Hi Maggie" Draco greeted her and wrapped an arm around the back of her waist, "How are you enjoying the party?"
Maggie decided to just cut to the chase instead of wasting time, "I have to go".
"What?" one of the friends, Blaise Zabini, replied.
"I have to go. I completely forgot that Cassi has to play tonight. I have to go. We should be back in a few hours" she told them before she leaned in to give Draco a quick kiss on the cheek and bade them goodnight before she hurried out to meet her daughter.
"Did you know that Cassiopeia had her recital tonight?" Blaise wondered.
"No" Draco replied.
"Oh, well" Pansy responded with a shrug of her shoulders.
From the corner of his eye, Draco saw movement outside of the door and he turned his head to see. He turned his head just to see the hem of Magnolia's coat float by on the way to the front door.
Draco turned his attention back to his friends, trying his best to involve himself back into the conversation that surrounded him. His friends from Hogwarts chatted about gossip about their careers and any other student from school. Draco tried to listen and engage in the conversation but his thoughts were preoccupied with a topic that was not about the conversation that was going on around him. He couldn't but help remind himself the look of both disbelief and shame that shone in her eyes as she kissed him before she and Cassi left. He probably wouldn't admit it but he felt ashamed of himself for throwing a party on the same day as Cassi's school recital, even though it was unintentional. Even though it wasn't by blood or 'official', Draco had always seen Cassiopeia as his own daughter, even when he first met her in the year that the students returned to the school after the war against Lord Voldemort for the seventh and final year. Draco felt like tonight didn't feel fair. After all, he can host any number of parties whenever he liked but Cassi. Cassi had only one night for her school play. No, it was fair.
"Draco!" Pansy exclaimed in shock, "What are you doing?" when she saw him take out his wand.
"You'll see" he replied before he uncharacteristically climbed up onto one of the tables before he pressed the tip of his wand to his throat and cast a spell that caused his voice to echo through the ballroom.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
It was an hour by the time Draco reached the muggle school that Cassiopeia went to and it didn't take him long to get to the school's gymnasium since he had been there before with Magnolia. Inside of the gymnasium, it was a crowded place. Across the room was the stage that was being used for the play that was going on. The wide space from where he stood and the stage was full of proud parents watching their offspring perform. Draco pulled out his wand to cast a quick location spell to find his girlfriend among the crowd of people before he cancelled the spell and put his wand away before any of the Muggles noticed. Draco hurried over to where Magnolia was sitting and watching her daughter. He did his best to avoid stepping on toes as he went into the rows and meet Maggie where she was seated. Luckily, there was still an empty chair beside her.
"Hi" he whispered as he sat down beside her.
Maggie turned her head and her eyes widened at the sight of him, "Draco, what are you doing here?"
"I came to do the same thing you are doing".
"But what about the party?"
"Sent everybody home and the house-elves are picking up the mess".
"Oh. You didn't need to stop the party and you should've stayed; enjoyed the fun".
"I could have but I did not want to. Besides I've been hearing Cassi recite her lines for months now and I want to see her perform them. It's not everyday that I get to see her become a wicked witch with green skin".
With a smirk on his lips, he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers for a quick passionate kiss before he pulled away and focused his attention to the performance before him. As the two of them watched the school play, their fingers intertwined together as they held each others hand.
At one point Maggie squeezed Draco's hand in thanks for leaving his party to watch Cassi.
Draco responded with his own hand squeeze to say that he wouldn't have missed it for the world.
To Be Continued…