Chapter 17
It was cold and sleeting the morning of the Hogsmeade trip. I purposely avoided all reds and pinks in my wardrobe, to avoid looking themey. I went with a charcoal-gray sweater dress instead, with black tights and boots, and my black wool coat. Draco was waiting for me in the entrance hall. I thought wistfully of my first date with him, when Luna walked me down and helped me pick out my outfit. I missed her. I pulled on my coat and hooked my arm around his. "Ready to go?"
"I hope you're not going to drag me to Madame Puddifoot's. That's where most people go for Valentine's day."
"Well aren't you a ray of sunshine already." I shook my head and smiled. "No, I can't stand anything like that. Don't worry, neither of us will have to suffer the terror of doilies and pink."
"Good."
"But you do know where we're going first…"
"Honeydukes?"
"HONEYDUKES!" I thrust my fist in the air, practically yelling the word. He raised one eyebrow. "Oh don't judge me, I love sweets."
"Trust me. I've figured that out."
I laughed lightly, pulling him along and hopping into a carriage. We rocked with the movement of the carriage, chatting idly about classes and life. When we got to Honeydukes, the entire shop was decorated with red and pink. There were heart-shaped chocolates, pink chocolates, red chocolates, and even chocolates laced with love potion. I inhaled deeply, a smile spreading across my face. After I made my purchase (a massive block of raspberry fudge), he took my hand and gently pulled me in the direction of the Three Broomsticks. "How about lunch, then?"
We snagged a table next to the fireplace. We chatted with a pot of tea between us, people-watching, staying warm as we watched the cold gray rain streak against the windows. "Jack?" he asked, taking my hand and absently playing with my fingers.
"Yes?"
"You know, my father wants me to marry you."
"Oh." I raised my eyebrows and attempted to look shocked. "Er… I suppose I can understand that. His grandbabies being royalty, seems like something he'd want."
"And he likes you."
"Oh, he does? Good, I couldn't tell when I was with him. He doesn't emote a lot."
"No, he doesn't." He dropped my hand and reached into his pocket. "He's talked of nothing else since September. But in these past months… I've realized…" He sighed heavily, looking up. "I want to marry you. Because I love you." He held out a tiny box, carved ebony, with a silver latch. "More than anything or anyone on this earth."
I stared at the box, frozen. Half the pub was staring at us now, strangers and Slytherins with delight, members of the DA and faculty with dismay or shock. When I remained silent, he stood, moved around the table, and bent on one knee in front of me, proffering the box. "Jessica Harcourt … will you marry me?"
"I… ah…" My eyes widened and my heart seemed to stop for a moment. What did I do? "I... yes. Yes, of course!" I found my voice, and threw my arms around him. The pub erupted into cheers and applause.
"Happy Valentine's Day," he whispered in my ear. I pulled apart from him, grinning. He opened the box and slipped the ring onto my finger.
"Oh, Draco, it's beautiful."
"Family heirloom." A thin silver band flared into a network of delicate milgrain and filigree. In the center was a perfect diamond, carved delicately into the shape of an open rose. I couldn't stop staring at it. "I thought you'd like it."
"I… I don't know what to say…"
He leaned forward and kissed me deeply. "The carriages will be leaving soon."
"How can you think of something as mundane as carriages?"
He smiled at me and pulled me up. "Come on."
When we got back, we ate dinner (I snuck over to the Slytherin table, where all of the girls exclaimed over the ring), and then retired to our separate common rooms. When Draco disappeared, I broke off from my usual route and ran to McGonagall's office. I knocked this time.
"I believe congratulations are in order, Miss Harcourt," she said dryly. I slid the ring off my finger and placed it on the desk in front of her.
"Is there anything wrong with it? Any spells?"
She stared at the ring. "I will check."
"And… I don't want to be a bother… but it'll be extremely suspicious if I don't wear it tomorrow."
She sighed. "It'll be on your bedside table tomorrow morning, I'll send a house elf with it when I'm finished."
"Thank you so much, Professor!" I almost hugged her, then thought better of it. I left the office and went back to the common room, where no one noticed my lack of ring. I finished my homework and went to bed early, mind reeling.
The next morning, the ring was on my bedside table, with a slip of parchment. When I picked it up, words began to scrawl across the page. Tracking charm. Disarmed. I nodded and incinerated it with my wand, slipping the ring onto my finger.
I stopped Draco in the entrance hall, touching his arm. "Hello, there."
He kissed my forehead. "Good morning, love."
I looked up at him. "So, when do you think the wedding should be?"
"I haven't given it a lot of thought. What do you think?"
"I mean… this might be terribly soon… but we have a holiday in April. I doubt it's possible to plan a wedding in a month, but…" I blushed, looking down. "I'd like… I'd like for you to… take me… on our wedding night. It's romantic, you know? The way things should be done." He nodded, looking a little disappointed. My heart was beating unnaturally quickly. I still didn't want to lose what was left of my virginity to a Dark Wizard who surely only wanted me for my status, but it seemed I couldn't avoid it. The best I could do was feign demureness, putting it off until the wedding night. However, when he smirked, I lost hope of that being a long time.
"The wedding must be as soon as possible, then."
"Um... yes... but I want to do it right." I looked up at him, attempting my best puppy-eyes. "You don't mind, do you?"
He kissed me again. "Of course not." His voice seemed a little strained. I grinned and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you for being so understanding."
"You're my fiancée, it's my job to understand you."
"Fiancée. I like that."
"Soon, it'll be wife."
I kissed him, murmured that I loved him in his ear, then went to eat breakfast. This time, it was the Ravenclaw girl's turn to look at the ring.
"That is amazing," murmured Padma, taking my hand and turning it left and right, watching the ring catch the light. "It looks so real."
"It's beautiful," chirped Lisa.
"Are you sure you're ready to get married?" asked Morag from across the table. I nodded.
"I have to think about this a lot earlier than non-royalty, you know. The regent advised me to find a good match as soon as possible." I busied myself with buttering my toast. "It's slightly different for me than for you, I hope you don't mind me saying. And it's not like I'm marrying him just because he's a from a good family. I like him. Love him, even. And that, combined with his name, makes him perfect."
Morag was quiet, nodding. I was sure she thought I was ruining my life. Maybe I was. But it got me closer to the Malfoys. So much closer.
Now, in addition to homework, I had to plan a wedding. I wrote to Uncle as soon as I had set the date. After a few furious letters, he begrudgingly admitted that if anyone could plan a wedding in a month, the staff of Windhithe could. It had to be there, seeing as I was the Princess. We would invite all major figures of society, including the Minster of Magic and his officials, the entire seventh year of Ravenclaw, the entire seventh year of Slytherin, and many people in between. Draco involved himself little in the wedding process, though when I wrote to Narcissa and Lucius, Narcissa had quite a lot to say concerning wedding plans, especially the flowers. Draco was pleased that I was getting on well with her, sitting back and letting us write back and forth about peonies versus lilacs.
Draco and I decided that we would be married on the fourth day of the holiday, April 13th, then spend the rest of it in equal parts at Windhithe and Malfoy Manor. We would postpone our honeymoon until after the school year was over, and we tossed around ideas until we decided on touring the Mediterranean and the countries surrounding it. Although I wasn't really in love with Draco, I was excited about the wedding. I had already spoken to the Daily Prophet, and my smiling face and outstretched left hand had been splashed across the front page. It would be a spectacle to end all spectacles.
I had asked Padma and Su to be my bridesmaids. Luna would have been my maid of honor, but I would look for her during the holiday, after the wedding. Draco chose Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott, much to the dismay of Crabbe and Goyle, it seemed. He later explained to me that they weren't from extremely notable families. I nodded and said that I understood. And they looked rather brutish, anyway. They wouldn't look good in dress robes.
"Miss Harcourt?" I looked up from my reverie to see Professor Flitwick was looking at me, along with the rest of the class, hands clasped. "Are you quite alright?"
"Oh, yes professor, I'm fine. Lost my train of thought." I smiled at him and sat upright. He nodded and resumed his lecture. I found it difficult to pay attention in class, not surprisingly. There was so much to think about.
When I was with the DA, I discussed my plan for when I would stay at Malfoy Manor. I fiddled with my engagement ring as they talked about when I should investigate, and how. I would wait until the opportune moment, probably in the middle of the night, when I would transform into my animagus and investigate the secret door in the drawing room. Neville mapped out our escape, enhancing my Apparating skills to pinpoint precision with lots of practice, watching as I cracked around the room where he pointed. I also snapped back and forth from fox to human. The first time I did it, everyone stared at me, almost afraid. After a few days, Padma and her sister Parvati were scratching behind my ears, and even the students I didn't know as well gave me a pat on the head.
