Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the fabulous world of Harry Potter
Chapter 4: Life, or Something Like It
"He wants me to marry his grandson."
This time her statement was greeted by complete stunned silence.
"Oh don't look at me like that!" Ginny chided her friends as she launched into a complete explanation of the afternoons festivities.
Hermione was the first to recover. "You know this is crazy right?"
"Yeah, probably, but I am going to do it anyway. I can do a lot with the money and I feel that this is the right thing to do." Ginny added quietly with a meaningful glance at Luna.
"Hang on, I'm so confused. Who are these Malfoy people?" Hallie interrupted.
"You're kidding right?" Allie asked. "There is no way that you could have lived in London for nearly two years and have no idea who the Malfoys are."
"I promise I don't."
"The Malfoys are an incredibly old pureblood family, almost as old as the Weasleys. They are probably the richest and most powerful family the world has ever seen." Hermione said in her best professor voice. "Most recently think deatheaters, Lucius Malfoy. Ringing any bells?"
"I vaguely remember the name from history and the Daily Profit. So who is the grandson?"
Suddenly Ginny had an idea and she jumped up and ran to the bathroom where she was sure she had left the latest copy of Witch Weekly after reading it in the bath the night before. She snatched it up and walked back down the hall flipping through the issue in search of the article she had briefly glanced at. She found it and handed it to Hallie when she reentered the room.
"THAT'S the dude you're gonna marry?!" she sounded distressed but her eyes betrayed her true thoughts as she avidly stared at the pictures in front of her.
The article Ginny had handed her was an interview with the little prick on the day to day life of everyone's favorite playboy. There were wizarding photos of him flying, him partying, modeling and of course one of him with girls hanging all over him. The piece de resistance though, and the one Hallie was currently drooling over, was a photo of Malfoy standing against a dark backdrop in only a pair of dark jeans. Plastered across his face was his patented Malfoy smirk, the one that made most women want him but only made Ginny sick to her stomach.
"Yes, that is the little bugger himself. Bloody hell he is such a self-centered prick!"
"But he's so hot?"
"Yes, yes we know," Hermione assured her. "But Ginny is correct he is a prick, always has been. He looks good but it is only to hide the evil inside."
"He's not evil!" Luna interjected with a pointed glance at Ginny. "He is actually quite sweet, just a little misguided currently."
"Says the girl who is in love with his best friend!" Allison reasoned.
"Well yeah, but Draco really is a lot nicer than people give him credit for." Luna was becoming distressed at the Malfoy bashing that was taking place. "Come on Ginny, you know him! Tell them how sweet he is."
Ginny turned bright red. "No, I don't really know him. We tolerated each other for you and Blaise back in school but that's about as far as I can go."
Luna looked outraged but didn't say anything more for which Ginny was glad. A good chuck of her past wasn't something she ever wanted to think about again.
An uneasy silence fell over the group as they all turned to their margaritas to avoid the eyes of the others.
"Well I have two questions," Hallie said breaking the silence after a few minutes. "First, when do you move in? And second, what color is my dress going to be?"
All the women even Luna had to laugh and then the night carried on as usual as the heavy atmosphere that had descended lifted.
"You know Gin," Allison began as she finished off the dregs of her second drink. "I don't know if you remember this but there was this time back in fifth year during a round of Truth or Dare at one of our Friday night rituals where…"
"You dared me to steal the great bounding ferret's skivies?"
"Yeah that would be the time." She laughed.
"What?!?! When was this? What happened?" Hallie insisted.
"You better tell the story Ginevra Weasley!" Hermione chimed in looking deadly serious.
Ginny couldn't help but giggle as she remembered the Friday night ritual that led her straight down the path that led to Draco. She recalled that night as if it were yesterday not over five years ago.
"Ok, ok! I'll tell you what happened." Ginny was laughing by this point as well. "It all started off when I came up with this amazing dare for Allison…"
"Gin," Allison said as the thin black girl reached into the gigantic pile of sweets in the middle of the five roommates circle to grab a rogue chocolate frog. "Truth or dare?"
Ginny look up from the box of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans she was carefully sifting through with some success, although she did mistake a wasabi one for lime ten minutes before hand. "Umm…I don't know. I normally prefer dare but with the dare I gave you last week I'm pretty sure you are out for blood sooo… I guess I am stuck with truth." She swiveled her body around so that she could lay stretched out on her stomach and stole a pink fuzzy pillow from Robin who was on her right.
"Smart woman. You're right I do want your blood after you made me prance around the common room in nothing but my underwear. You will pay, mark my words Weasley." She said. She tried in vain to look menacing but such a sweet looking girl with her round cherub face and deep golden brown, almond shaped eyes could accomplish that as well as a kitten.
"You could have taken the forfeit love."Ginny replied cheekily as she slowly twisted a stray bright red curl around her finger.
"Mhm, sure, because Potter would so enjoy being molested in public."
"Kissing someone isn't molestation." Ginny retorted in a mocking sing song voice. "Besides, I bet he would enjoy it."
Allison lobbed several pieces of candy at her for her cheeky remark before settling back down. "Alright back to business, your question is if you could shag anyone in the entire school, regardless of year or house, who would it be." She looked triumphant as she took in Ginny's horror stricken face.
"I don't wanna answer."
"Don't care. Gods I love being able to brew Veriteserum, it makes this game so much more fun!"
The four girls in the room turned and starred at Ginny. "Well Gin?"Gwen urged.
They saw her lips move but heard no sound. "It doesn't count if we can't hear you." Beth chided.
Ginny let out a growl of frustration, "Agh! Ok, if I could shag anyone in the entire school it would have to be without a doubt Draco Malfoy."
There was a stunned silence that greeted Ginny's statement. All her friends stared at her, jaws dropped while the redhead made an exceptional effort to have her skin match her hair color.
Allison was the first to recover, "Wow, I don't think that was the answer anyone was expecting." She let out a little laugh that helped to dissipate the rest of the shock from the circle.
"Malfoy? Really Gin?" Beth asked. "I was expecting someone more along the lines of Harry or Seamus. That was a shock."
"Well think about it." Ginny leaned up on her elbows to be closer to the group. "He is intelligent, rich and athletic. He can be fun to be around if you actually know him like the Slys do and most importantly of all, he is drop dead bloody gorgeous! Pureblood breeding and a seeker's rigorous workout made him an Adonis physically. I honestly find him both more attractive and more interesting than any of the blokes in Gryffindor…and the bad-boy thing is such a turn on!"
"She's right." Gwen conceded. "The boy is quite fit. If only he weren't such a dick."
The girls collapsed into laughter and continued their game.
Much later in the evening, when most of the candy had been consumed, the game once again found Ginny to be the center of attention. Thinking she was safe with Robin as the one who would decide her fate she decided to try her hand at accepting a dare.
She watched apprehensively as Robin and Allison exchanged glances.
"I forfeit my dare to Allie."
"No!!!"
Allison let out an evilly gleeful laugh. "Finally! I have the perfect thing! Ginny Weasley, I dare you to retrieve a pair of Draco Malfoy's boxers from the boys bathroom."
"WHAT?!? No!! Not happening! Ever!"
"You could take the forfeit Gin." Gwen pointed out.
"What's the forfeit?"Ginny asked not liking at all where this game was going.
This time Allison's grin was positively maniacal. "Kiss Draco Malfoy in the middle of the Great Hall at breakfast tomorrow."
Ginny paused in thought. Neither prospect seemed at all appealing, but she definitely knew which one would be the lesser of two evils and would possibly be less embarrassing. "How long do I have to get the boxers?"
"So, you would sleep with Malfoy?" Mione asked eyebrows raised.
"Mhm and I'm not ashamed." Ginny responded as she reached across the couch and grabbed the magazine from Hallie who was still drooling over the photo. "Look at him. You would sleep with him too. If there were no Ron and the opportunity presented itself you would, I know it and you know it."
"Well maybe if I had never known Malfoy at school but since I did, nope, no interest at all."
"Sure Mione, whatever you say." Hallie said rolling her eyes. "And you, give me back that magazine I was not finished orgasming over this photo. You were really friends and you didn't at least try to tap that?"
Ginny and Luna both nearly choked on their drinks.
"Not exactly." She laughed.
Ginny leaned back on the couch and sighed. Now that her friends knew her decision and would support her the following months with Draco wouldn't be nearly as difficult. Now all she had to do was tell her family.
The fire roared to life in the Floo room of the Manor and two figures stepped gracefully out of the fire. One was a stick thin brunette woman whose pathetic excuse for a dress did little more than hide the most important parts of her body behind an ultra thin layer of gold fabric.
Her companion was slightly different though. A tall blond man dressed in dark blue jeans that were obviously professionally ripped for an astonishing price and a deep green silk shirt that, although was not his best color was not a detriment either. This man stepped into this room with a familiarity that showed he had lived in this manor all his life and his cunning Grey eyes did not feel the need to sweep the surroundings and take in the splendor of what he considered to be a useless room as his inebriated female companion did.
No, instead he simply dragged the woman along by the arm that was slid through his out of this insignificant portion of the Manor and though many more impressive rooms to reach the main foyer. This room was jointly dominated by a set of massive gilded mahogany doors and directly across from them a regal grand staircase that was bigger than the woman's entire flat.
This site made her freeze in awe despite the man's determination to get her up the stairs and hopefully into a bedroom.
"This is so beautiful!" the petit brunette exclaimed.
"Yes, yes. Come along Giselle." He replied, never having quite been able to understand women's fascination with the bloody entrance hall.
He was finally able to get her to the stairs when a deep booming voice echoed through the formerly silent night making him cringe.
"Draco, you will come in here immediately." Abraxas said standing at the doorway to his study. "Bid that woman goodnight." He said in a tone that was clearly meant to say 'get rid of that trollop'.
Sighing in defeat and sexual frustration Draco Malfoy released his grip on the would-be model and turned to face her saying "Well I am sorry my dear but I am afraid I am going to have to cut this evening short." He lightly grasped her hand and placed a soft kiss on the top. "Blinky will show you out." He motioned to the houseelf that had appeared out of nowhere to stand beside him and flashed the poor confused little social climber one last knee weakening smile before heading back down the stairs and letting himself into his grandfather's study.
"This better be important."
Abraxas stood inside the room and was in the process of pouring himself a shot of firewhiskey. He smirked at his grandson's entrance. "Good evening to you too, you little shit. I thought I told you not to bring any of your little whores back to the manor. It upsets your mother and your grandmother."
"Well that's why I waited until all you old people should have been in bed, only problem was you, you crazy old man. I can't believe you fucked that up for me, that bird was hot." Draco whined throwing himself down on the black sofa and stretching out the full length.
Abraxas frowned and pulled out his wand. He waved it and sparks shot out of the tip, zapping Draco's feet. "Get your feet off my settee. That woman was only interested in using a night with you to boost her social status."
"Yes, I am quite aware of that fact and I was more than happy to let her use me. All I cared about was getting thoroughly shagged." Draco pushed himself up and walked over to pour himself a shot. He had downed two in a matter of seconds.
"Draco, that's enough." Abraxas commanded. "Sit down; I have some news for you and you're not going to like it."
"Grandfather, I rarely like what you have to say to me as of late." Draco drawled, but he did not argue and sat in the chair to which Abraxas had motioned.
"Oddly, I don't particularly care." The older man noted casually. "The reason I have brought you in here tonight is because I would like to congratulate you on your recent engagement"
"Come again?" Draco asked one perfect platinum eyebrow raised.
"Yes," he said moving to stand beside his grandson's chair. "I signed a contract with a young woman today to marry you for one year in order to give me some time to try and get our family's name and what is left of our dignity out of the mud. The only way I can do that is with a guarantee that you," he poked him in the chest. "Will be secured and out of my way. So, I bought you the perfect bride Draco. She is smart and beautiful and a pureblood with a serious attitude that can handle all of your crap!"
"And what exactly makes you think I will agree to this?" Draco demanded pushing himself out of his high-backed chair.
"Because if you don't you will be completely disinherited."
"Right and lose your only heir? I highly doubt that."
"Listen to me you little spoiled brat! If you don't obey me then I will just have to get your mother and father to produce me a new heir. Don't underestimate me Draco. I am that powerful and I will get my way. Now you'd better go to bed, alone. You have a busy day tomorrow, the wedding plans begin."
Draco stormed over to the door, completely furious with what he was being subjected to. He had his hand on the door knob and was about to leave when something occurred to him. "Who is she?"
"Come again?" his grandfather looked up from the stack of papers he had already begun to attend to.
"You never told me who she was. So, who is she?"
"The woman? Oh, her name is Ginevra Weasley."
Oh gods, anyone but her.
YAY so this one didn't take nearly as long! But the next one might because I HAVE to update my other story. I has been WAY too long! But I will try to write both as fast as possible!!!
For those of you who care, I am done with all my craziness and graduate next Saturday. Thanks for sticking with me
Please review!!!!
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