The white stallion, knight in shining armor and the big castle didn't cut it for Virginia Weasley-Malfoy anymore. She slowly dragged the silver blade, slicing apart her wrist. The solitary vertical line created a downpour of the sticky red substance. The physical pain was absolutely exhilarating as she felt her emotional problems draining out. Draco was out again doing Merlin knows what. She concentrated on that thought as the blood spilled. The white shag carpet and her new sky blue slip was soaked in the crimson liquid that pooled at her feet. Virginia Anne Weasley-Malfoy, age 21, tried to commit suicide for the first time. She was just like that muggle, Princess Diana. Unhappy with the royalty they basked in. Virginia hoped that Draco was respectful enough not to cheat or at least keep his unethical indiscretions as discreet as possible. She didn't need Ron to stick in her face that marrying Draco was a bad idea. He was a mediocre husband and not a very perceptive one. He ostracized her from business and was always away. After they married, they had inherited Malfoy Manor. Narcissa and Lucius moved to France. Virginia did not keep in contact with many people. Not anymore.
She grasped the handle of her Maplewood wand and whispered a quick cleaning spell before going to the bathroom. She shakily raised, knees a bit knobby. She was so skeletal. Her jaw was so prominent on her thin, once jubilant face. Her flesh was pale and empty instead of lively and energetic like it once was. Before Draco. He cared about her, a lot. He just didn't show it. During his childhood, his parents never showed public signs of affection so he didn't know how to handle a wife properly due to his lack of a good role model. He was an Auror, working next to Harry and Hermione. Ron was playing Keeper for the Chudley Cannons. Harry decided after his first year of playing Seeker for the Egyptian Eagles that he didn't want to pursue Quidditch. He and Hermione had found a kinder, more compassionate side to Draco that he only reserved for a few people.
"Virginia? I'm home!" Draco called out from the front door of the Victorian mansion.
Her doe eyes widened into dinner plates as his faint footsteps became louder. She quickly glided over to the bathroom and locked the door with a soft clink. The bloodstains couldn't be removed from the fine silk of her dress. That would certainly arouse suspicion and be difficult to explain. She stripped down to her knickers and bra after turning on the sink tap. With a black cotton cloth, she let the lukewarm water soak in before attempting to scrub the blood off the skin of her wrist and thigh were it doused through her dress.
"Gin? Are you in there?" Draco questioned through the door, knocking softly.
"Y-yeah. Be out in a moment," she stammered.
As rapidly as she could, she scrubbed out the stains, leaving behind the pink glow on her sensitive skin before hiding her dress under the sink and pulling on her black silk robe. It was so skimpy that it barely covered her essentials, but it would do. The sleeves were long and flared out by the hem while the bottom covered half her thigh. Why of all days would he be early today? She walked out, clad in the thin fabric, coming face to chest with her four-year marriage partner. He wrapped his lean arms around her waist, holding her close. Her fragile looking arms immediately rendered to encircle his neck, inhaling his musky scent of tobacco, mint and everything manly.
"Why are you back so early?" she asked suspiciously.
Her voice was a bit muffled, due to the fact that her face was in the curve of his pale neck, burrowing in.
"The raid was shorter than I thought. Macnair, being the imbecile that he was, had the Dark Arts objects hidden in his damn closet so Potter gave us time off to go home and spend time with our families," he grinned.
Virginia raised her head to look directly into his steely gray eyes. They were filled with wariness and concern.
"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Draco interrogated worriedly.
"No, sweetheart. I'm fine. Everything's fine," she reassured him, lying through her teeth.
"Are you sure?" he queried.
"Very much so," Virginia answered him.
They pulled apart, but were still barely an arms width away, His face was filled with care while hers was completely impassive. Draco instinctively knew that she was hiding something form him. Every time her eyes were blank and clouded, she wasn't telling him something. He knew that dealing with her was like poker. He had to know when to hold, call and when to fold. This was one of the times to wait things out and see.
"Let's go eat," she suggested with a ghost of a smile.
Draco slung his arm around her shoulders, leading her down into the glorious dining room. The cypress table was finely lacquered, the white marble walls were glistening and the beautiful green dragon designs were so realistically defined. A slender white candle was lit, a vanilla scent wafted around along with red roses placed strategically in the center of the table along with baby breaths in a long vase. The tantalizing aroma of filet mignon and a red vintage wine drifted about.
Draco pulled out her chair like a gentleman and offered her the seat before slipping into his own. The chair was plush because of the stuffing under the red velvet. They ate silently. Virginia was itching to create another scar onto her body. She pulled her steak knife into her lap inconspicuously, running the blade along the blue vein of her wrist. She pressed it in harder, breaking the sensitive skin, allowing the warm blood to run freely. A small gasp of pain emitted from her lips, almost inaudible, but loud enough so Draco heard.
"Gin? You okay?" he asked, his tone filled with apprehension.
"I'm-I'm fine," she mumbled.
Her eyes were downcast. He continued to dine. She tugged her napkin down slowly, letting the liquid saturate it. She deposited the soiled napkin under her plate. The blood stopped flowing and all she felt was absolute bliss. She had to leave. She excused herself from the table and headed into the closest bathroom. She omitted a heavy sigh and began to run the cold tap water. Virginia stuck her bloodied hand under the faucet, cleansing off the almost dried substance. The cool water felt good against her skin. Once her skin was clean, she walked upstairs to the master bedroom that she shared with Draco. She inhaled oxygen sharply as she opened the door. Draco stood there in the middle of the bedroom, a smirk playing across his lips. He had draped red roses down from the ceiling and white rose petals were scattered across the floor. Soft music played in the background and jasmine scented candles were lit around the entire room. Draco waved his wand and words were immediately formed in front of her. Sparks flew from "Happy Birthday, Gin!" in green and red, a symbol of their former houses and rivalry. When that dissipated, she ran into Draco's arms and enveloped him into a tight embrace.
"Happy birthday," he whispered.
"Thank you," was all she could say.
Tears escaped and ran down her supple cheeks. Her face was buried into his neck yet again. She could feel his pulse racing and his heart pounding beneath the layers of clothes. He began to suck on the skin of her pale, freckled neck, biting it softly and lapping the marks over with his tongue. She ran her hands through his hair, pulling him closer to her body. Draco placed gentle open-mouthed kisses from her jaw, down to her collarbone like he was worshipping some goddess. He pulled off her robe and carried her to the bed, laying her down on the soft, silk sheets.
"Draco," she moaned.
It began with butterfly kisses from her fingertips. His entire body tensed and froze as he reached the raised skin. Virginia's eyes shot open in horror as the realization dawned upon her and that she forgot to apply a glamour charm. He stood up with an angry, hurt and shocked expression in his features. He snatched her arm up and she winced at the abrupt pain.
"What the bloody fuck is this?" he whispered angrily.
"N-nothing," she mumbled.
"It's a fucking scar," he growled. "And all this time you told me nothing was fucking wrong."
His facial features softened as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. All of a sudden, his cell phone rang. He picked it up.
"Hello? It's not a good time right now. No, no. Fine! I'll be there soon," he said.
He snapped the phone shut and closed his eyes, praying to Merlin for a bit of patience to deal with everything.
"We'll discuss this when I return," he muttered.
"Yeah? And when will that be? Next week? Next month? Next year?" she queried irritably, her anger taking the best of her.
He ignored the question and apparated to the ministry. Virginia crumbled down as he legs gave out. She wouldn't cry, she promised herself. There was no reason to. She looked around the room and immediately found one of Draco's beloved daggers in a drawer and pulled it out. She slashed every inch of her thigh. She slit open her arms and down her stomach. She screamed incoherently with all the life in her miniscule body. Blood soaked her body and the green silk, along with the carpet. She got off the floor and staggered to the bathroom and slammed the door shut. She turned on the shower. The scalding water beat down and burned her skin and cuts once she got in. She slid down the wall, crying into the heat. Even when the water began to freeze, she didn't move.
"Virginia?" Draco called out from the corridor.
She had become unconscious so she didn't budge. Draco forced the door open that led to the bathroom and pulled the gray shower curtain to the side. Virginia's skin was turning a nasty shade of blue and purple.
"Fuck!" he screamed.
He turned off the water and grabbed the closest towel, wrapping it around her frail figure. He bought her to the bedroom, very well aware of the blood and iron smell it excreted. He ran to the cupboard to retrieve more blankets. He murmured a quick cleaning spell and threw off the dirty sheets onto the clean floor. Blankets upon blankets were placed on her form as he cast all the heating charms he knew. He wasn't very familiar with healing spells so he could not heal her various scars. Draco called Harry through the Floo Network, asking him to come and bring Hermione along. They arrived instantaneously due to the anxiousness and insistence in Draco's voice.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked.
"Ginny. She tried to commit suicide," Draco swallowed.
Harry's face paled as Hermione fainted.
"I need you to help her. I don't know what to do anymore," he confessed, his face in his large hands.
Once Hermione awakened, she shot up in an erect position. Tears pooled in her eyes and began to stream out like waterfalls. She automatically rose into a standing pose and ordered Draco to direct her to Virginia. Draco rushed to their room and slowly peeled back all the covers, revealing her marred form. Harry began to alter into a puke green shade.
"Alright. Get me a cauldron and a ladle. Then get an eye of newt, faerie dust, a mint leaf, pixie wings, monkshood and the blood of a druid. That'll heal the scars and bring her temperature back up. Draw a tepid bath now," she commanded.
Harry began the bath while Draco retrieved her needed supplies. It was a good thing that he loved potions so much or else he probably would have had to go out and buy the ingredients, which would lose a lot of precious time. Harry added bubbles and scents just for good measure. Hermione created the horrid salve that Madam Pince had always used when they were at school for cuts and bruises. One application healed the self-mutilation wounds.
"Okay. We have to wait for about five minutes until we can put her into the tub," she noted.
Five minutes came and went. Virginia was put into the bathtub before Harry and Hermione reluctantly left. Draco kneeled next to the porcelain, holding Virginia's hand like his life depended on it.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'll do better. I love you, Gin. I need you. You can't leave me. Come back to me. I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm a horrible person. All I wanted was to provide a stable life, good relationship and protect you. I failed you on all three accounts. I'm the one who did this to you," he whispered.
When he finished speaking, her hand began to twitch. He looked up at her face. Color began to flood back into her cheeks slowly. Virginia's eyes fluttered open.
"Gin!" he squealed, enclosing her into his warmth, even as he got soaked in water.
She gave him a small, sad smile.
"Draco. You're home," she stated.
"I'm so sorry. You gave me quite the scare," he chuckled dryly.
"I can't do this anymore," she blurted out.
"W-what do you mean?" Draco paled.
"I mean, I want a divorce," she admitted quietly.
Draco thought his heart ceased beating. He stopped breathing. This couldn't be happening…
"No!" he exclaimed. "I won't do it!"
Draco was absolutely perplexed. Why would she ask him to do such a thing? Didn't she love him anymore?
"Why?" he croaked when she stayed silent.
"We're just too different, you and I," she mumbled.
"You didn't care when we go married," he retorted hotly.
"I know. It's just that… You're always busy, Draco. I love you, yes, but I just can't go through this anymore," she cried.
Draco remained silent, knowing that she was right.
"I have to go," she told him, getting up from the tub and reaching for a towel.
Virginia wrapped the cloth around her waist as she dried off.
"I can do better," he suddenly whispered.
"Can you?" she replied.
She faced him, eyes filled with hope and trepidation. She needed more assurance than that. His eyes seemed to plead with hers, craving her. He wouldn't let her go that easily.
"I won't divorce you. I love you," he stated firmly.
"But Draco-" she began wearily.
"Don't `But Draco' me, darling," he interrupted. "I love you and you love me. I'm not going to leave you. I won't let work corrupt my life anymore. I swear."
Virginia didn't know how to reply. She knew that what he said was true because he never lied to her before, but that didn't make life any easier.
"Are you sure? I don't want to be a complication in your busy life," she mumbled.
Draco was absolutely appalled. Didn't she know that she was his life? He held her, murmuring endearments and sweet nothing into her ear. Her tears eventually calmed down a great amount. She hadn't even realized that she had been crying until it was almost over. She held him for dear life and he didn't mind.
"I love you, Gin," he whispered.
"I love you, too," she sighed wistfully.
They lived happily ever after. Maybe.