A/N: I would just like to say thanks for all the reviews. This is my first fanfic, and I really appreciate all the support. Reviews make me smile.
Chapter 2: Not On Your Life
Draco was seething.
After the shock of what his father had written had worn off, he was absolutely livid. His father planned to control his life even in death.
He could always refuse. He didn't really need the inheritance. Thousands of people were poor.
Who was he kidding? He didn't know how to be poor. Besides, his mother would have a fit. It looked as though he would actually have to marry that Weasley brat.
And what was that "whore" comment about anyway? Draco liked to think himself picky over the girls he would allow share his bed. Unless of course, he was drunk, depressed, angry, happy, annoyed, or in some cases just breathing, Okay, so maybe that wasn't the point. So what was the point? Oh yeah…
Lucius must really have wanted revenge to even suggest he pair up with a Weasley. Granted, his father hadn't hated the red-headed clan as much after the war. It was only because of Arthur Weasley's interference that Narcissa hadn't been sent to Azkaban. She hadn't even been charged with anything. Narcissa really hadn't committed any crimes, but that wouldn't have stopped the vengeance-seeking aurors from throwing anyone with any connection to the dark arts in Azkaban without even blinking an eye. Draco still didn't know why Arthur Weasley was so adamant on protecting his mother. He had asked her about it once, but she just shrugged it off and changed the subject.
Still…even though his father didn't hate the Weasleys, it didn't mean he liked them. The Weasleys were muggle-loving fools who had helped bring Voldemort's downfall. Maybe what people said was true and Lucius really had lost his mind after the Dark Lord was defeated. Or maybe, just maybe, his father really did love his wife enough to forgive a long-time enemy because he saved her. Forgiveness was usually a foreign term for Lucius. Heck, this whole mess was caused by Lucius's refusal to forgive Draco for an "irredeemable transgression." No, it was easier to believe that his father had gone crazy than to believe he had actually forgiven someone.
Although, if Lucius really did release all grudges against the family, it might make some sense. The Weasleys were a greatly respected family and they had gained significant power in such a short time. Along with Arthur becoming Minister of Magic, Percy had become a respected authority on equipment regulations and had even written several books on the topic. Fred and George had expanded their business and were making money left and right. Ginny owned some sort of robes shop in Diagon Alley that was very popular with teenagers. Draco had never been there. Even Weasel had gained some power in his own right. He had become one of the best aurors the Ministry had ever had, with the exception of Scarface.
Yes, the Weasleys were definitely respected and powerful, and it would be good P.R. for the Malfoy name if Draco and Ginny wed. The Malfoys had lost a considerable amount of respect when Lucius was sent to Azkaban. They were still feared, but fear and respect were two very different things.
To Draco, the P.R. just wasn't worth it. He did not want to marry Ginny Weasley. He couldn't stand the girl. She was everything he wasn't. She had always been the quiet girl who followed Potter around like an annoying fly. It was as if she had no personality of her own. And surprisingly, it seemed that everyone loved her. It had actually been a joke in Slytherin. It was just hilarious to listen to different people talk about her. The stories were always completely contradictory. Some thought her a quiet, but sweet girl, while others believed her to be a sexy vixen waiting to be released. It was as if everyone just made her what they wanted her to be. Actually, Draco had been slightly intrigued to find out who Ginny Weasley really was.
"Well, it looks like I might find out," said Draco as he rose from his desk. "As long as I can get her to agree to go out with me, she will instantly fall victim to my debonair charms," he said smugly.
If he told the truth, he really didn't know what to expect from Ginny. The only thing he knew about her was that she owned a fairly successful robes shop in Diagon Alley. He only knew this from his mother, who made it her business to know everything having to do with shopping. He only hoped she wasn't romantically involved. It would make things much more difficult.
"If I'm supposed to seduce Ginny Weasley in three months, I had better get started. Here goes nothing," Draco said as he downed the last of his whiskey and stepped into the fireplace.
"Perfect Fit," he called as the room swirled around him.
~~~~~
It had been a long day.
It was the store's Halloween sale, which was the biggest sale of the year other than the one at Christmas.
Ginny loved her job, but sometimes it was so stressful. Everyone had been surprised when she opened a robes store full of her own creations. All of her friends and family had expected her to become a mediwitch. If it hadn't been for the war, she probably would have. Ginny had decided that she had seen enough blood to last her a lifetime.
Because of the Weasley's financial situation while she was growing up, Ginny had become quite good at making her own clothes. A friend had asked her to make her wedding dress, and the dress had been a hit. Since then, requests had been rolling in for her to make other things. This inspired her to open her own store with the money she had been making. Her boutique sold many different types of robes, but her most popular were those for teenage and young adult witches. They all thought she had impeccable style.
Although the store had been a madhouse that day, the sale hadn't been the main cause of stress.
That job belonged to Ben.
He had been screaming all morning. He wasn't sick, tired, or hungry, and Ginny couldn't think of anything to calm the three-year old child.
Ginny had adopted Ben a year and a half earlier. She couldn't have loved him more if she had given birth to him. He was her life.
Most of the children left alone after the war had been adopted within months. It had proved to be quite difficult to find Ben a home. He had only been a few months old when both of his parents had been tortured and murdered right in front of him. No one knew why he was spared. Everyone said that he had been such a happy child, but since that night, all he did was scream. When Ben didn't cry, he just sat and stared at the wall. He couldn't talk and he was almost two before he could walk. Some doctors thought he had developmental problems, while others thought that, while he had no brain damage, he had been so traumatized as an infant, he may never become a fully functioning adult. No one had wanted to adopt a "defective" child.
Ginny didn't care. To her, he was a brown-haired, blue-eyed angel. He was the sweetest child on earth.
Although, she was concerned for him and her own sanity. It wouldn't have been such a problem if he had liked strangers. The sale was what induced his screaming fit. He was absolutely terrified of strangers. There had been so many in the store that day, that Ben just couldn't handle it anymore.
She had to take him to work with her. It was next to impossible to find a babysitter who was willing to listen to ten hours of non-stop screaming. She couldn't ask her mother. She felt like she asked her too much already. Besides, Mrs. Weasley was out of town visiting Ron and Luna. Luna had given birth to their first child earlier that week and Ron didn't have a clue as to how to care for the two of them. Her mom had gone to help out for a week and would be coming home on Saturday.
Ginny and Ben had been to visit them two days ago. Ben was quite well behaved. All he did was sit and stare at the newborn until it was time to leave. Ginny was shocked when she picked him up to go and he leant over and kissed baby Cara on the forehead. It was incredibly out of character for him to show any affection to anyone other than Ginny. She hoped that maybe this meant he was finally making some progress.
Well, that was Wednesday, and this was Friday. Ginny had closed the store and Ben was finally beginning to calm down. She sat in the rocking chair by the fire and rocked him while she sang. He stopped sobbing and crawled out of his mother's lap to sit on the floor and stare into the fire.
Ginny gave him a peanut butter sandwich, his favorite, and a glass of milk for dinner, while she started to work on some of her designs. She really could work at home, but she liked to use her huge artist's desk to draw on and Ben didn't mind. She didn't plan on being long anyway. She just couldn't get the sleeves to this robe right, and only wanted to try an idea she had had earlier that day.
"There. Perfect," exclaimed Ginny twenty minutes later as she blew the eraser rubbings from the paper. It was finally done.
"Ben, I'm going to go to the back to put this up, and then we can go home. Stay here, alright?" she called as she walked to the back room.
She was excited that it was done. She had been working on it for the better part of a month. For some reason, the sleeves always came out wrong. She was anxious to start making the robe to see if it would look the same as it did on paper.
Ginny gave a triumphant sigh as she put the drawing in the drawer with the rest. She was leaving the storage room when she heard coughing.
"Ben, are you alright," Ginny called. Wait. That couldn't have come from Ben. That cough was far too deep to come from a three-year old boy.
She started running back to her office. Something wasn't right.
She stopped dead in her tracks to see white blonde hair and piercing gray eyes stare into her own deep brown ones. Draco Malfoy was standing in front of her fireplace. What was more surprising was that Ben wasn't screaming. In fact, he wasn't making a sound. He was staring up at the man with the unwavering attention.
`Who the heck is this kid staring at me?' thought Draco. `Must be one of the young Weasley brats. But no red hair…interesting.'
"Malfoy," Ginny seethed. "What are you doing here? We're closed."
"Yes, I'm aware you're closed. That's why I chose now to come," Draco simply replied.
"What are you doing here?" Ginny repeated obviously irritated.
Okay. This may be difficult. "Actually, I'm here to ask you on a date," he said as he stepped past the small boy and closer to Ginny.
"Y-you you w-what?" Ginny sputtered.
"I would like to take you on a date," he stated as if he had just asked the price of the green robes instead of asking her out.
Ginny was floored. `What is he playing at? Has he lost his mind? He knows I hate him, and doesn't he hate me?'
"Look, Weasley, I just want to take you out for coffee. You can get your jaw off the floor."
"Have you lost your mind?" Ginny half screamed, half whispered, which resulted in an interesting screeching noise.
"Not last time I checked. So, do you want to go?"
"Of course not! Who do you think you are? I can't stand you. Why would I go out with you?" Ginny was still reeling by what was going on.
This was a definite blow to Draco's ego. "Come on Ginny. Give me a chance. I'm really not as bad as you think," he reasoned.
"No! Go away!" she stated forcefully.
"Ginny-"
"Not on your life."
"Ginny, please-"
"NO!"
"Oh, come on! At least listen to me," Draco nearly yelled.
"What are you really up to?" Ginny asked looking at him questioningly.
"I promise, all I want is to take you out."
"I'd rather voluntarily try one of Fred and George's experiments."
"I promise you a good time," he said.
She raised her eyebrow at him. "Oh, really? You mean like all our other `good times?'" Ginny asked sarcastically.
"I was a prat back then. I really am different now. At least give me a chance to prove how I've changed."
"You know, as appealing as that sounds, I'm going to have to decline. My son is tired, and quite frankly so am I. Good day, Mr. Malfoy," Ginny stated as she gathered her son in her arms. "Please let yourself out." And with that, Ginny apparated home.
"Son?! Shit! I didn't know she had a son! You've got to be kidding me," Draco ranted as he flooed home.
"And she wouldn't even listen to me. I'm supposed to marry a stubborn little brat with a kid! I swear if my father wasn't dead, I would kill him myself. What am I supposed to do with a child? The only child I've ever known was myself. What am I supposed to do now?" Draco grumbled as he got into bed.
"Well, I guess I do what I'm best at," Draco said as he calmed. "I'll just have to charm her." He smiled as he put his arms behind his head and thought of his plan to seduce Ginny Weasley. Oh, this was going to be fun after all.