The Greatest Gift Of All
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When Draco was twelve, she'd baked him a cake. It was his first birthday that she was a part of. They'd met at Madame Malkin's just before First Year, when he was eleven still. Willa and her brother were getting fitted for their robes, same as him. He'd tried to strike up a conversation with the boy, he figured they'd have more in common than he would another girl. I mean sure, he'd loved Pans, Mill, and Daph even back then, but they were girly and delicate and just downright annoying at times. Not to mention Parkinson was as bossy and nagging as they came, that fact's never changed. So he ignored the girl with the extremely messy, tangled, rats' nest of dark brown hair in favour for the boy with slightly less tangled hair and perfectly round glasses. That ended up being a total bust. He was cold and standoffish, practically acted like he was above the platinum blonde. Which was completely ridiculous, as if ANYONE could be above a Malfoy. One'd be lucky to even be at the same level as someone such as himself. The conversation was short and one sided, awkwardly petering out until the girl on the other side of her brother finally plucked up the courage to say something. "Oh don't mind my brother, he's just a bit overwhelmed.", she'd brushed off the boy's rude behaviour apologetically. Leaning forward to catch the silver eyed boy's gaze. She didn't wear glasses like her brother, he'd noticed, and her eyes were quite the bright shade of green. He didn't expect that, to find such a striking physical feature on someone who was otherwise so very easily overlooked. Draco, remembering his manners, tried to salvage the remainder of his time with the siblings. By carrying on the conversation with the girl- Willa. It went better than expected. He learned a lot about who'd he come to realize was the infamous Harry Potter, and his twin sister. He couldn't believe his luck at the time. Thank Merlin for Willa, or else he would've risked missing out on this very rare opportunity. To endear himself to the most famous person in the Wizarding World before anyone else had the chance to steal his rightful position as Harry Potter's Best Friend. He found talking to The Boy Who Lived's Sister was a lot like talking to Pansy, minus the bossy tendencies. They both fawned over him and listened, giving him their full attention. The difference mainly lying in motive alone. Pans was always on a mission. To curry favour, allies, and secure a potential husband. All while playing the political mind games the witches and wizards from his circle practiced and passed down to their own children.
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So it was refreshing and confusing to say the least. To see such earnest and unguarded, unedited, reactions and thoughts from someone else. Willa was genuinely impressed by everything he bragged about, curious of the topics he brought up that she wasn't familiar with, and overall just happy to be around him. Needless to say Draco had left Madame Malkin's that day with more than just some new robes for school. He left with the knowledge that he had two new friends, that he'd made all by himself without any meddling from his parents, who'd promised to meet up with him on the train. The emerald eyed girl took to him immediately the next time she saw him again, and throughout the school year, she grew on him as well. Much more than he expected. In fact, the young Malfoy boy held a closer connection to the young female Potter than he did her much more famous twin brother. So close in fact, that the blonde didn't hesitate to invite the twins over to the Manor for the annual Malfoy Family Yule Ball his parents threw every year. As he couldn't imagine spending the school break without her, and owling letters back and forth just wouldn't have been the same. His mates had teased him about it at the time, calling it 'separation anxiety'. He'd been a bit miffed, and a lot more than a bit embarrassed about it. Mainly because they were right. Willa and him went and did everything together. A rather easy feat as they were in the same year and house. At one point, he couldn't tell you when for the life of him, they started having 'slumber parties'. Which was a dressed up term for him not so secretly sneaking the brunette into his room at night so they could essentially cuddle and sleep in the same bed. You'd swear Draco was her twin brother instead of Harry by the way they were attached at the hip. He'd known people were starting to talk, and Parkinson was sulking about it, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Sure he was alienating some of his connections and potential matches for a Halfblood, sister of The Great Harry Potter or not, but Willamina was warm and soft and bright and cared about him. Truly, genuinely, liked who he was as a person. Flaws and all, regardless of his status and blood purity. It made him feel special and seen in a way he hadn't quite experienced before, and Merlin was it addictive. So he should've saw it coming, he REALLY should have saw it coming when she'd stayed over for Yule. He should've seen it coming when he agreed to be her date and dance partner for the ball.
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He should've seen it coming when she'd been escorted into the ballroom in her gown and he thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes upon. He should've seen it coming when they'd accidently stepped under a hanging piece of Mistletoe and she blushed the most adorable shade of pink. He should've seen in coming when they kissed for much longer than necessary with his hands digging into her hips and her arms draped around the back of his neck. He should've seen it coming when he came to her room after everyone had gone to bed to confess the feelings that he didn't realize were present until that evening. He should've seen it coming when she admitted to fancying him back, in this desperate, breathless tone of voice before snogging him silly. He should've seen it coming when things got more and more intense and neither one of them could find it in themselves to stop. He should've seen it coming when she was whimpering out his name as he was suckling on her neck and slipping his hands under her nightgown. He should've seen it coming when he pushed her onto the bed and took what little clothes she had off before hastily discarding his own. He should've seen it coming when he slid between her soft thighs and hovered over her needy and flushed form. He should've seen it coming, but never in a million years did Draco expect to lose his virginity to his first, brand new girlfriend. The very night they got together, at eleven years old. It was the closest either of them could get to heaven without dying. That was the only way one could describe what was shared between the couple that night. That night, and every night and opportune time after that. They continued to be a couple for the remainder of the school year, and well into summer break. So naturally, Willa was the first person who received an invitation to his birthday party. He'd expected a gift, to which she delivered on that end. She'd gotten him a broom maintenance kit, as he'd went on nonstop about how he was going to try out for Seeker now that he was going to be in Second Year. The gift was thoughtful and he would've been content with that, but Willa apparently wasn't. Deciding to show her love by baking his birthday cake for the party. A modified version of her green apple pie that he loved so much. She even frosted and piped little apples onto the bloody thing. Merlin did he have the best girlfriend ever. He just knew all the other boys in attendance were green with envy.
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Even the Purebloods who'd initially laughed at the thought of having a Halfblood on their arm, even one related to someone so influential, were sulking when his girl had rolled out the cake. He was sure that by the end of the night, when Willa had whisked him off to his room with an unmistakable gleam in her eyes, a few of his peers hated him. For his thirteenth birthday, she'd gotten him a collection of poetry books, in addition to another delicious cake. As well as helping his Mum plan the party. She'd caught him one day during Second Year just mucking about with a scrap piece of parchment and a small poetry book from the library. Draco had found the sentence structure and the way the words seemed to convey their meaning in a roundabout way to be rather fascinating. He'd tried taking a crack at writing something for fun when he'd been discovered. He'd turned redder than Weaselbee's hair when he'd been caught, half expecting her to laugh. Only ponces who were pants at Quidditch hung around the Library writing poetry. Yet she didn't laugh, didn't judge. She'd joined him and asked about poetry. Wanted to know what he personally liked about it. She'd taken his answer for what it was, and pulled out her homework for the day. They'd sat next to each other in silence, only the rustle of parchment and the scratching of quill nibs reaching their ears. Poetry became an interest of his and she respected that. She sat on listening a countless number of times with a smile, and an endless amount of patience while he talked about it. She'd even let him recite an entire collection of poems without interrupting once. "I might not understand poetry and what the authors meant when they wrote it, but it is pretty, and you like it. I like seeing and hearing you be so passionate and invested in something. You glow and your smile stretches from ear to ear. It's like you're sharing a piece of yourself with me, and I wouldn't have it any other way.", was the explanation he'd gotten when he asked her why she put up with his ramblings about a subject matter she had no interest in. Then after the party she'd sunken down to her knees on the lush rug right in front of his bed to give him his final gift, privately. For his fourteenth birthday, she'd gotten him a three tiered cake, a quill set made from the tail feather of one of the albino peacocks they have at the Manor, a ring made from one of the loose scales the basilisk had shed, and a marriage contract. Apparently Harry was just influential enough, that his parents decided to try for a marriage contract.
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Going directly to Willamina's blood adopted father, his godfather, Severus Snape. Uncle Sev thought they were much too young for such a thing, and perhaps they were at the time Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy originally put forth the idea. Just shortly after the first Yule Ball his girl and him attended together. Turned out the emerald eyed Wonder Of A Witch had slowly begun wearing her dad down as soon as she'd found out about it. She'd even went with his Mother during Yule break Third Year to get her hair done at the same salon his Mum went to. She'd gotten platinum blonde streaks put in. An old Malfoy tradition done to signify marrying into the family. Draco was awfully thankful that his godfather had signed the contract before his cousin Sirius had gotten his name cleared. The man wasn't as chuffed as the rest of the family about it, and very vocally tried to dispute the contract. Willa of course set him straight, as did her father. Lord Black was on thin ice with the Potter-Snape family, and his 'godfather status' held no real weight given that the blonde's parents had been named the new godparents of the Wonder-Twins. That of course didn't stop his cousin from shooting him dirty looks every time they crossed paths in the Manor. The silver eyed boy couldn't wait for Sirius to be well enough to return to Grimmauld Place. You know, after his Mother finish renovating it. You'd think just having finished restoring Prince Manor would've been enough for her, but apparently not. Perhaps she was bored at home. One could only tend to the garden, host tea parties, and meander around the shops for so long before it got monotonous. When he turned fifteen, the cake was four tiers with edible sugar peacock feathers fanning out from the top tier, and she'd gotten him a new colt to raise up for the stables. As well as a new telescope, and an enchanted necklace to protect him from the effects of Amortentia. The twins- not his twins, but the Weasley twins, had opened up a joke shop. With the generous investment HIS twins had put into their business, and it was quite successful. Money well spent if you asked him. The only problem was, Fred and George's top sold potion. You guessed it, Amortentia. It was supposed to be a 'weaker', 'safer' version, that was more easily accessible. As soon as Willa caught wind of this she swore that 'blood cursed bitch', would be slipping some into his goblet the next chance she got. Greengrass, the younger one, had taken a special interest in Draco ever since her First Year at Hogwarts. Which who could blame the chit, really?
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He was the whole package after all: handsome, athletic, smart, talented, rich, an heir, the list when on and on. She was an annoying little stalker though, and his girlfriend loathed her. They fought verbally, and sometimes physically, every chance they got. So the gift was precautionary, and to ensure Draco wasn't forced into anything by 'the wizarding equivalent of a roofie'. His sixteenth birthday saw him getting two multi tiered cakes with a unicorn and dragon theme respectively- how his Beloved found the time for that between being around and under him he didn't know, but she thought his 'sweet sixteen' needed to be epic. Everyone they knew was invited, even his cousin Sirius and his boyfriend, Professor Lupin. His Aunt Bella made a quick appearance as a special guest before being whisked back to St. Muggos. It wasn't safe for her to be around crowds just yet, her mind was still very much on the mend. His Betrothed arranged a trip to Romania to see the dragons to honor his namesake, a stroll through the Forbidden Forrest to visit the local unicorn herds as he had a soft spot for them, a new cauldron, a portable smaller piano for his dorm room, and a trip to Diagon Alley to pick out a new pet for himself. He had a few horses at the stables of Malfoy Manor that were strictly his own. As well as his eagle owl Soren, but those weren't exactly pets he could carry around the school grounds or have in his dorm. Not like Willa's Hognose snake Ophelia. She was small and lean enough to take just about anywhere. A fitting pet for a Slytherin, not to mention she was a beaut. Her morph made her look like a Malfoy, which was probably why the little girl had caught her owner's eye. Draco was man enough to admit he was a tad jealous that the twins had Hognoses and barn owls while he only had an eagle owl. His girlfriend saw this of course, she was good at reading him like that. It also helped that she was an Empath and could probably feel the jealousy and petulance rolling off him in waves whenever anyone gave their snakes any sort of attention at all. All of the trips she'd planned for them went well. Draco got to pet a rather docile female dragon, watch the birth of a baby unicorn, and walk away from a reputable pet shop with a young Hognose all his own. At seventeen the cakes were constellation and Astronomy themed, and his gifts that year included: a typewriter, his favourite kind of hair gel from France, new protective gear for Quidditch, and a vial of Felix Felicis. He was one of the best students in Potions class- no, the entire school actually.
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Potions was just one of his favourite classes along with Astronomy. So to say it was a Sectumsempra to the chest for his Uncle Sev to host a 'friendly' little brewing competition during class one day during Sixth Year, only for Har to come away the champion and proud owner of the rare to come by liquid luck potion brewed to perfection by the Potions Master himself, would be an understatement. He potion he'd turned in was perfect, as per usual, but so was Potter-Snape's. Git turned his in a minute before Draco, securing him the win. If the blonde had known the bloody contest was timed he would've made haste. It was a fatal wound to his pride and ego and it took a few weeks for Willa to finally get him to stop pouting over it. Though if pressed, he'd admit to milking the 'sore loser' bit for longer than necessary to soak up his fiancé's attempts to cheer him up. Merlin he still to this day had dreams about that cat maid costume. "You're a winner to me.", she had softly told him when he held the small potion vial up to the light and glanced over at her curiously. He'd gotten the reference immediately, all but shoving the precious gift back into it's velvet cushioned box before kissing his lady soundly on the mouth. Paying no mind to the wolf whistles and cat calls as he tangled his fingers in her long and luxurious curly dark brown hair. His eighteenth birthday was the most extravagant one yet. With two towering cakes of Slytherin theme along with a table full of pastry sweets that probably took his Night Sky ages to make. His Aunt Bella was able to stay for the party, with his parents having agreed to babysit her the entire time. Quidditch matches were hosted before a dinner, followed by dancing in the ballroom. Willa had gotten him potion ingredients, some harvested by herself personally. Along with new strings for his guitar and ukulele, this cologne he'd tried once a couple of years ago that he liked from Romania, tickets to see his favourite Quidditch team play in person, and a wedding date. They'd agreed to get married as soon as they both graduated. Neither wanting to waste a second of their adult lives not being husband and wife. Some of the more 'progressive' people in their lives, including some classmates, thought it was rather foolhardy to get married so young. When they'd only shared each other's company intimately as adolescents. That surely their tastes wound change and they themselves would change. All those naysayers had clearly never experienced love.
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The kind of love that was all encompassing, consuming, and selfless. "Because I was made for him. My purpose has ALWAYS been to be whatever he's needed: a friend, confidant, potions partner, plus one at events, girlfriend, fiancé, and now soon- wife. Before I met him was lost, spending my entire life looking for something I couldn't quite place my finger on. It was him. Draco's my home, my family, my life, and I love him. More than anything or anyone.", Willa explained with a shrug any time she was asked why she wanted to marry Draco Malfoy straight out of Hogwarts. Some thought her little speech made her sound brainwashed. They didn't understand, and never would. The happy couple didn't care for their opinions, they knew just who'd be laughing at the end. They knew who'd be divorced or single parents with no prospects by the time Draco's thirtieth birthday rolled around, and it wasn't going to be either of them. They'd somehow decided on getting married on June fifth, his birthday. Actually, it wasn't 'somehow'. It was the platinum blonde's idea, that he'd randomly mentioned one night. After he'd just finished inside her during one of their regular nightly 'sleep overs', circa Seventh Year. She'd presented him with the first draft of their wedding invitation, Mum and her hadn't finalized all the little details women were always so nitpicky about when it came to weddings. The only thing set in stone was the date of the event. He framed the invitation and put it on his bedside dresser in his dorm room. On his nineteenth birthday for once Willa didn't bake the cake. No, she was too busy helping plan the wedding. He didn't mind, especially once he was dressed in a custom tailored suit. Standing underneath a grand archway in the gardens of Malfoy Manor. With rows upon rows of his: friends, family, and people of his social circle all before him. Seated with their eyes trained on the eager Groom. Especially once the wedding march played and The Other Half Of His Soul glided down the aisle, dressed like the princess she was in an all white ornate ballgown. A tiara adorning his Princess' head that was hidden under her delicate veil. He felt himself tearing up as this Vision Of Beauty stopped beside him with the brightest smile, and the look of absolute love and adoration plastered across her face. He'd lifted the veil with slightly shaky hands and knew without a doubt, that nothing could possibly top his nineteenth birthday.
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For on his nineteenth, he was given the greatest gift of all. They read their vows and exchanged rings. Tears were shed and sniffles were heard as they were pronounced husband and wife. As Draco kissed his bride. As Willamina Lily Potter-Snape, became Willamina Malfoy Née Potter-Snape. The reception was touching and full of laughter as their closest friends all gave speeches and traded lighthearted jabs with the married party. Draco danced, ate, and snogged the night away with his Little Music Box as they enjoyed their first night of many, as Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy. He'd thought his wedding-birthday celebration would forever be the highlight of his life, he was of course proven wrong. When on his twenty-second birthday, his very beautiful and very pregnant wife gave birth to his firstborn son, Hydrus Draco Malfoy.