Conquering a Prince’s Heart

silverbutterfly

Rating: R
Genres: Romance
Relationships: Draco & Ginny
Book: Draco & Ginny, Books 1 - 5
Published: 12/08/2004
Last Updated: 11/04/2005
Status: completed

AU story. Queen Narcissa wants to marry her son to someone capable of keeping him on his toes and capable of making him fight for what he wants. She chooses Ginevra Weasley, a girl from the low-society to be his Princess. Will love be part of this bargain? Read and find out.

Chapters

1. The Perfect Bride

2. Corsets and Ginger Cookies

3. First Contact

4. Unpleasant Tasks

5. The Engagement Ball

6. A new life is born

7. Love is Everything

8. Bonding

9. Wedding Night

10. From Laughter to Tears

11. Important information

12. Confrontations

13. The Magic of Hogwarts

14. Plotting

15. Prelude to a Fight

16. Two Down, One More to Go

17. Condemnation

18. To be or not to be... happy

1. The Perfect Bride

Conquering a Prince's Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, so don't you dare accuse me of robbery and I'm not making any money with this story, I can guarantee you that my pockets are empty right now.

Chapter One - The Perfect Bride

It's awful when it rains in the summer, but unfortunately, that happens all the time in England, and that day it was no exception. The heavy rain made a soft noise hitting the glass windows and the small raindrops slowly slid down the glass, making the world outside become blurry and surreal.

Inside of the huge party's salon, dozens of young women wearing ornamented and expensive dresses paraded in front of two elder ladies, one of them wearing a crown.

“This is boring…” Queen Narcissa complained as another young woman made a small turn in front of her, the girl's dress shining under the candle light coming from the crystal chandeliers, hanging from the high ceilings ornamented in gold leaf.

“Milady, don't you like any of them?” Lady Sarah, the Queen's personal maid, asked in a gentle voice.

Both women had spent the last few hours interviewing those young ladies and studying their good manners, their dance abilities, their high-class education, their clothes, hair and so on… The Prince had to marry soon and assure his place as the heir of the throne. Unfortunately Prince Draco didn't seem interested in settling down, preferring the usual bed maids, available at the Palace for whenever the King or the Pince desired special company. This was the reason why Queen Narcissa had taken the matter into her hands and decided to choose the future Princess, whether her son liked it or not.

After two hours and twenty-seven interviews, the Queen felt tired, disappointed and sad. All those girls were quite pretty and well educated, but she was sure her son would tire of them very easily. Draco was a force of nature and a submissive wife would bore him to no end. There was only a way out… Queen Narcissa would have to choose a young woman from another English kingdom.

“Sarah, please tell them to leave and ask for the carriage… I want to go back to the Palace.” Queen Narcissa ordered, elegantly rising from her seat, fixing her long dress and slowly walking towards a tall window, overlooking the river that passed through the city.

All the girls stared at the Queen in shock, as none of them had been chosen to marry the Prince, but still, they quietly left the ballroom not daring to say one word.

“Milady, the carriage awaits you…” Lady Sarah whispered, standing behind the Queen.

“They are just like I was at their age… That's why I can't choose any of them, Sarah.” Queen Narcissa said in a sad voice. “They are so willing to please, that they don't have a personal identity, they would never question Draco's decisions, either they were right or wrong… They would only want to look perfect beside their husband! That's the way I was, and that's why my marriage is a facade.”

“Milady, you are a wonderful Queen… The whole kingdom loves and admires you!” Sarah replied in a gentle voice, saying only the truth.

Yes, the kingdom admired her because she dared to help the poor families and orphanages, but her husband hated her for it. He thought that she was trying to steal his power over the population and that was another reason why their marriage wasn't happy.

“At least someone does love me and admire me…” Queen Narcissa sighed tiredly, running her hand down the window, removing the humidity that had gathered on the glass, finally being able to overlook the town.

The main square was empty except for a small carriage making its way down the street, the horse completely wet and his paws full of mud from the road. The sumptuous houses of the High-classers surrounded the square where a huge fountain in white marble decorated the garden surrounding it. A little down the road, a narrow river flowed wildly with the extra waters of the rain, secured by white brick walls, preventing the water from entering the city. On its margins a woman washed some clothes, placing them inside of a small basket. The woman was wearing a white long dress that now clang to her body, due to the rain, showing off her thin shivering body, while a green scarf covered her hair, like the law required.

Women had little rights according to the magical law of the time. Only men were allowed to attend a school of Magic, women could not learn magic or use a wand. Women could not be alone with a man who was not from her family. In case the woman was single and pure, she would have to use a scarf covering her hair and a white long dress that hid her body shape, because it was believed that showing the hair and body of a young woman would only bring the menace of rape towards her. Married women were allowed to show off their hair, as long as it was tied up, and they could wear long dresses, like it was fashion on the Victorian time. Deep cleavages, tight waist with the help of corsets, huge round skirts reaching the floor and the usual high healed shoes with white silk socks.

Taking a deep breath, Queen Narcissa turned around from the window and walked out of the room, towards her carriage to go back to the Palace she never considered as her home. The carriage was purposefully placed under a marquee, to prevent the passengers from getting their clothes wet or dirty with mud.

The Queen was about to enter when she noticed the same young woman that had been by the river go up the street with the basket full of washed clothes on top of her head, while her arms surrounded her chest to cover the parts of her body that the rain had exposed. A gush of wind made the basket fall off her head but the girl reached it on time, saving the clothes from falling on the mud. The abrupt movement caused the scarf to fall from her head revealing a mass of red hair falling down her back in wet curls.

The red hair contrasted perfectly with her rosy skin and white dress. As the girl kept on walking closer, Queen Narcissa noticed the small freckles that dusted the girl's nose giving her a childish and innocent look, but her amber eyes showed maturity and sadness by the way she never raised them from the floor. Her rosy lips were not smiling and the Queen wondered how the girl would look if she did.

“Guard!” Queen Narcissa called, being immediately attended by one of the Palace's guards that always accompanied her, wherever she went. “Follow that girl and report to me later. I want to know where she lives, who's her family, her name and her age… GO!”

The guard bowed to his Queen and proceeded to follow the red-haired girl with a safety distance.

“Milady, what are you thinking?” Lady Sarah asked, curious with her Queen's request.

“I believe I've found the future Princess of Birmingham's Kingdom…” Queen Narcissa smiled and entered her carriage. There was a lot to do at the Palace, to prepare the Engagement Ball and the Wedding.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

“Why me? Why?” Ginevra Weasley mumbled when the basket full of washed clothes fell from her head. Fortunately she had grabbed it on time, but still she was furious. It was middle of the summer and it was raining heavily, but still, her brother's clothes needed to be washed. So, who else should go under the rain to the river's margins to wash them? Why… Ginevra, of course!

Ginevra Weasley, the youngest of seven children, the only daughter among six other boys, the only one to stay at home with her mother taking care of the house, while all her brothers went to the school of Magic and got fascinating jobs, such as working with Dragons, working at the Main Bank of the kingdom, and so on… Just because she was a girl, Ginevra wasn't allowed to have the same freedoms and rights her brothers had, and that made her furious. Why should she stay at home, washing clothes and ironing them with hot coals? Why should she have to sew old socks and plant vegetables on the small backyard?

“This is so unfair…” she complained loudly, still making her way home, through the muddy road with her bare feet. Ginny, has her family called her, loved her parents and her brothers, she didn't mind doing the house work because she was raised to be a working girl, with no fear of such tasks, but still, she wanted more… Ginny wanted to learn magic, she wanted a wand, and she wanted the same rights that men had. How many times had she read her brother's schoolbooks at night, with only a candle to keep her company, as no one could know she was reading them? How many times had she done the wand movements explained on those books with a stick she found on the backyard? And still… it wasn't allowed…

Finally, she arrived at her house… The rain had stopped by now, making a strong scent of wet earth come to her senses. In front of Ginny was her old house, the walls needing to be painted, the roof dark with the moss that gathered there, the front door threatening to fall and the old backyard where a huge cherry tree provided shade on the rare sunny days.

Her family wasn't poor, but they weren't far from it. Ginny's father, along with her youngest brother Ron, worked for the Kingdom's Security Department, but their paycheck wasn't very high. Fortunately, the twins Fred and George owned a small bar in town, where they served meals and drinks, to men only, and they always gave their parents some money from their dividends. The twins and Ron were the only ones living at home now, while Percy, Bill and Charlie were all married to nice girls and lived their own lives. Percy was the King's personal assistant, Bill worked in Birmingham's Bank and Charlie lived out of the country working with his dragons. They were all free to choose a job, a life partner, a suit to wear… But she couldn't.

After placing the clothes on the drying string, under the porch, Ginny entered the kitchen to help her mother with dinner, not noticing the Royal Guard watching her from the other side of the street, his sword reflecting the shy sunlight that dared to break through the dark clouds.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

“Milady, the Guard has arrived.” Lady Sarah warned later that night, when the Queen was embroidering a tea towel. The Queen's face lightened up and an anxious smile appeared on her face, as she made signal for the Guard to enter her Atelier.

The Guard walked in, bowing in front of his Queen and then straightening up again to face her.

“So, tell me what you've found…” the Queen ordered.

“I've followed her home and then I've talked with some neighbours. Her name is Ginevra Weasley, she's the only girl in the family, but she has six brothers. She's the youngest at the age of twenty-two, she spends her days at home working with her mother on the house-hold… According to the neighbours she has a fiery temper, making her own brothers fear her reaction to their jokes. Miss Weasley is still single and has never been asked for marriage…” the Guard told everything he knew and waited for his Queen's next orders.

“I can't see why not! She's a gorgeous young lady…” Queen Narcissa mumbled, running her hands over the flower she had finished embroidering. “And she has a fiery temper, uh? That's good… Draco needs to learn he can't have all he wants just because he wants it. He needs to learn to fight for what he wants, and Ginevra will be the right person to teach him, I hope.”

“My Queen, is there something else I can do for you?” the Guard asked, waking the Queen from her thoughts.

“Yes, you can. Tomorrow I want you to guide me to that girl's house… You may go now, good work.” She replied watching him turn around and leave the room. “Sarah, I think she's the one!”

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

“This is the house, My Queen.” The Guard said, as he helped the Queen come out of the carriage.

The day was sunny and warm, the perfect opposite of the day before. The sunlight reflected on the house's windows, the walls showed the need of a good painting, the garden was occupied with vegetables instead of grass and there was a horrible tree near the house.

Queen Narcissa already expected the girl to be poor, by the way she washed clothes on the river and wore a dress made of cheap fabric, but seeing the house she inhabited was another thing. But still, she wanted this girl badly, and she would do anything to make her the next Princess. Yes, it would involve a lot of work, but Queen Narcissa could hardly wait. In fact, it would probably be very amusing to teach all the high-society standards to that girl.

Straightening her long blue dress and her matching umbrella, the Queen and Lady Sarah made their way to the main entrance, clapping their hands to signal their presence. A short red-haired woman opened the door, still cleaning her hands on the apron she wore around her waist, and gasped in surprise before bowing in front of the Queen.

“My Queen, what an honour to receive you at my humble home! How can I help you?” Mrs. Weasley asked in awe, as she studied the woman's perfectly styled blond hair, the light blue eyes, the ivory skin and the expensive dress.

“I'm here to talk about your daughter, Ginevra…” Queen Narcissa said with a smile. “May I come in?”

“Oh, but of course! Silly me… Make yourself comfortable.” Mrs. Weasley replied excitedly, gesturing for both ladies to seat down on the worn couch, as she sat on the other one facing them. “What about Ginevra? Is she in trouble? I'm always warning her not to listen to those men comments, but she insists on trying to hit them… She has inherited my temper, I'm afraid.”

Strangely enough, the Queen seemed pleased with that information. Apparently the girl had an extremely fiery temper… Good, very good!

“No, she isn't in any kind of trouble. As you probably know, I'm searching for a bride to my son, Prince Draco, and I've happened to notice your daughter's beauty, and I wanted to ask her hand for marriage.” Queen Narcissa said, going straight to business.

Mrs. Weasley stared at the Queen in shock. This high-class woman wanted her low-class daughter to marry her son, the Prince? Why? There were several rich girls, cute enough to marry the Prince…

“Why?” was the only word that left her mouth.

“She's the only one I believe capable of such responsibility.” Was the only reply.

“I need to speak with my husband first…” Mrs. Weasley replied, covering her worried face with both hands. “Ginny's going to hate this situation.”

“My Guard went to your husband's place of work and soon they'll be here. But, why do you say that your daughter won't like this situation?” Queen Narcissa asked, confused. “Doesn't she want to get married?”

“She believes in marrying for love… She won't like the idea of an arranged wedding.” The woman replied, rising from her seat to pace the small living room. “She believes in equal rights for men and women, and now, we're asking her to submit herself to an undesired husband…”

“I can see that your daughter has strong beliefs and hopes. As the future Queen of this Kingdom, she would have the power to try changing the things she believes to be wrong, and who knows, she can end up falling in love with her husband.” Queen Narcissa said, her voice full of hope as well. Hope that her son would have a life full of happiness with that young woman.

“Mom? Mom, where are you?” a female voice called from another room in the house. “The iron needs hotter coals…”

“Ginny, put the iron away and come to the living room, please…” Mrs. Weasley called back, her voice showing off her nervousness. Ginevra walked in the living room at the same time that her father entered the house and they both stared at the two elegant ladies in surprise.

“My Queen…” Arthur Weasley gasped in surprised, bowing to the lady and Ginny just stared in shock at everyone.

“Queen? You mean this lady is Queen Narcissa?” she asked, confused.

“Yes, I am, Ginevra… Nice to meet you.” The Queen replied with a small smile on her pink lips. “Nice to meet you too, Mr. Weasley.”

“But, why are you here at our house?” Ginny asked curious.

“Ginny! That's no way to address the Queen…” her father hissed, nervously.

“Oh, it's fine… She's curious, that's perfectly comprehensible. Well, I've been speaking with Mrs. Weasley and now I'll let you both know what brought me here…” the Queen said, taking a deep breath. “I want Ginevra to marry my son, Prince Draco.”

“NO!” Ginny screamed, horrified by the idea.

“Ginny! Calm down…” her mother pleaded, hugging her daughter strongly against her chest. “It's a wonderful request…”

“Indeed it is.” Arthur replied, a smile gracing his lips. “I've spent the last four years dreading the day someone would ask your hand for marriage. I didn't want to give you to just any men, because you deserve so much better, my child… This is the perfect chance for you! I will be giving you to someone capable of taking good care of my treasure.”

“Daddy, please, if you really love me, don't let me marry the Prince… I would be unhappy for the rest of my life. I want a marriage filled with love, like you have with mother.” Ginny sobbed, a few tears dropping from her amber eyes.

“Ginny, with time you'll learn to love your husband, and like Queen Narcissa said, you'll be the future Queen and you'll have the chance of changing those laws you hate so much! You'll give women all the things they want to have…” Mrs. Weasley said in a soothing voice, trying to convince her daughter to accept the situation.

As both parents tried to get their daughter to agree to the marriage, Queen Narcissa studied her future daughter-in-law. Today she was wearing the obligatory white dress that covered her whole body, not allowing one single body shape to show off, and she wasn't wearing the scarf on her head, because she was indoors. Her hair was a shiny deep red, reaching her low back on large curls and her fringe was braided in two, joining at the back of her head. Her eyes were beautiful even shining with tears, but Queen Narcissa would rather see her smiling.

“Ginevra, I know you don't like the idea of marrying someone you don't love, but I can assure you that my son is a gorgeous young man, full of charm and intelligent conversation. I'm sure you two will find common tastes and you'll learn to enjoy each other's company… Together I'm sure the two of you will be able to rule this kingdom and make sure the population is happy and safe.” Queen Narcissa said in a gentle voice, rising from her seat to approach the girl. “Please, consider my words, for I'm not telling lies.”

Ginny just studied the beautiful woman in front of her, trying to find if she was lying, but all that she saw was sad blue eyes, gentle smile and warm caring hands holding hers. It was so hard having to decide such an important matter in a few minutes… But, they were right. There was a lot she could change as soon as she had enough power in her hands, and maybe she could fall in love with the Prince… She had heard other girls saying he was quite handsome, so, why not? Her parents where having a hard time maintaining the house and one less mouth eating would be an improvement.

“Would I be able to keep in touch with my family?” Ginny asked, her voice shaking with emotion.

“Yes, you would be able to see them from time to time, but only after you're married. Until then you won't be able to leave the palace.” The Queen replied gently.

“I guess I'll have to cope with that… I accept with one condition, my family will have to attend the wedding.” Ginny said, taking a deep breath and sounding more secure of herself.

“Done! Welcome to the family, Ginevra… Thank you for accepting.” Queen Narcissa sighed happily, forgetting all about etiquette when she hugged the young woman. Ginny smiled weakly and hugged her back, feeling the sweet scent of the Queen's perfume.

“Oh, you smell so nice and I'm sweating like a bull… I'm so sorry but I was ironing some clothes.” Ginny mumbled, stepping away from the elder woman.

“Don't worry, it's fine… Now, I want you to come to the Palace right away, so say goodbye to your parents.” The Queen said, stepping away to Lady Sarah's side, waiting while Ginevra hugged her parents and started to cry again. Since none of them was listening, Queen Narcissa gave orders to Lady Sarah to hire a maid to work at the Weasley's, being paid by the Palace's treasure.

“Milady, I need to go get my clothes now…” Ginny said, preparing to go to her bedroom, but she was stopped by the Queen's hand on her arm.

“Ginevra, that's not necessary… You won't need those clothes, now. Come, let's go.” She said, going out the door with her arm around Ginny's small waist. “Goodbye, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley… Soon you'll receive the wedding invitation and I'll send someone to make your outfits. Don't worry, we'll take good care of your daughter.”

The Queen and Ginny climbed on the carriage, followed by Lady Sarah and soon, they were being taken away from Ginny's childhood house to the Palace she would learn to think of has her new home away from home.

`I hope I've made the right choice… I'm scarifying too much for things to end up wrong.' Ginny thought as she turned around in her seat to look out the window, her house only a tiny dot in the distance and her heart tightened in her chest with the sadness that came over her body and soul.

**~~**~~**~~**~~**~~**

Hello everyone, I'm BACK!!!

Yes, after a month or so away from the fiction world, I'm back with a new story, like I've promised.

PAY ATTENTION TO THIS NOTICE!

I wrote this story two years ago, even before I found out that there was such thing as Harry Potter Books or Harry Potter Fanfiction.

Originally these characters were Portuguese characters (my language) and they were NOT magic. But this summer while I was swimming in the ocean, feeling the warm water running over my skin I remembered about this story I wrote some years ago and decided to change a few aspects to make it fit to my favourite pairing: Ginny / Draco.

So, this is an Alternative Universe Fic, meaning, the plot has little to do with the original one (You have to stick with this if you want to read it) and the plot may present some weird things like: Birmingham's Kingdom. (There's no such thing, ok?)

Well, I hope you enjoy this new story.

Lots of love,

Carina

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2. Corsets and Ginger Cookies

Chapter 2 - Corsets and Ginger Cookies

Birmingham's Palace. Ginevra had seen it hundreds of times before, always admiring the huge building on the top of a small hill, near the middle of the city. Each time she looked at the Palace, it was like she was seeing it for the first time. The huge proportions of the building, the well-kept gardens surrounding it, the elegant balconies made of white marble, the Royal Guard walking around the building, keeping its inhabitants safe from harm…

When she was seven or eight years old, Ginevra went to the Palace's Christmas Party, along with many of her friends from the neighbourhood. Usually the King and the Queen invited poor children to this party and they would give them food and presents, just to show to the population how good they were. At the time, Ginny fell in love with the idea of a huge Palace where the King, Queen and Prince lived happily ever after…

For the next few years, the young Ginevra dreamed about finding a handsome Prince whom would fall in love with her and take her to his palace, both riding a beautiful white horse. Soon, she began to understand the unfair laws that excluded women from the society and all the dreams she had about becoming a princess, vanished. No longer had she dreamt about becoming a voiceless puppet. Unfortunately, fate worked things against her will, and here she was, entering the Palace she always admired, preparing to get married to the Prince she once dreamt about, and no longer wanted.

The Guard standing on the gate looked inside the carriage, confirming who were the occupants and allowed them to pass. Slowly, the carriage drove through the large garden, allowing the sweet scent of the rose bushes to invade the confined space and a peaceful smile appeared on Ginny's lips.

“You should smile more often, Ginevra. You have a beautiful smile.” Queen Narcissa said, studying the girl in front of her.

“I'll smile when I find a reason to…” Ginny replied coldly, but immediately regretted her harsh words towards the Queen. “I'm so sorry, that was very rude of me.”

The Queen just chuckled and patted Ginny's arm.

“Don't worry, I chose you because of your personality. Don't change your ways just because you are surrounded by snob people; be yourself…” Queen Narcissa said in a gentle voice, as a Guard helped her leave the carriage, and waited for Ginny to leave it as well before she continued her speech. “Welcome to your new home. My son is out of town for the next few days, but you'll have the chance to meet him soon.”

“Milady, shouldn't he be the one choosing his future wife?” Ginny asked in a small voice, as the Queen guided her through the long hallways made of stone.

“My dear Ginevra, a Queen has many responsibilities, and although some of them are extremely unpleasant and unfair, we must do what is expected of us. Soon you'll learn more about the good and bad sides of Royalty, my dear…” Queen Narcissa said with a sad face and bitter tone of voice. “Many things happen behind these walls, and not all of them pleasant.”

Ginny just nodded her head in understanding and kept on following the Queen to a more decorated part of the Palace, with its stone walls covered in beautiful tapestries, statues, suits of armour, so many things to look at… but the Queen just kept on walking, only stopping a few minutes later in front of a set of wooden doors.

“These will be your chambers. Parvati will be your personal maid, she'll help you bathe, dress, and be here for anything you need, so I want you to obey to her commands because she was trained to serve the future Princess… You.” Queen Narcissa warned, walking inside the huge room, not paying attention to Ginny's gasp of surprise.

The bedroom was enormous with a beautifully ornate high ceiling, there were two ceiling high windows that led to a balcony and there was a door leading to a white marble bathroom. In the middle of the room, against one wall was a four-poster Queen-sized bed, each post made of finely carved wood, and there was a wardrobe, as well as a vanity table and a small desk. All in all, it was a very exquisite bedroom, especially for someone not used to such luxuries.

“Oh my, are you sure I'll be staying here?” Ginny gasped, observing all the room's details, not quite believing what her eyes saw.

“Of course you'll be staying here, where else?” Queen Narcissa smiled, sitting at the vanity table to fix her hair. “But only until you get married. By then you'll have a real suite…”

“If this isn't a real suite, then I can't even imagine what is!” Ginny mumbled, sitting on the bed to test its softness.

“Well, it's nearly lunch time so Parvati will bathe you and get you dressed. Listen to her instructions and follow her to the Dining Room.” Queen Narcissa ordered, preparing to leave the room. “After lunch you'll learn some important rules.”

As soon as the Queen and Lady Sarah left the room, a young woman wearing a long black dress and a white scarf on her head entered the room, a gentle smile on her lips.

“Good morning, Milady, my name is Parvati and I'll be your personal maid.” She said bowing before Ginny.

“Hello, nice to meet you. First of all, my name is Ginevra, not Milady, and secondly, don't bow before me, for I am no one.” Ginny said, holding the girl's hands in hers, a gracious smile on her lips.

“I'm sorry, Milady, but I have orders to obey and I have to serve you, not befriend you…” Parvati replied gently. “But thank you for the consideration. Let's bathe you, shall we?”

As soon as the bathtub was filled with warm water, Parvati removed Ginny's clothes and made her enter the tub. Ginny tried her best not to blush as she had never been naked in front of anyone besides her mother, and to have someone scrub your body with a sponge, that was just weird.

”Milady, there are a few things you should know for the next few hours.” Parvati warned, bathing Ginny's legs and feet, tickling her unintentionally. “You must walk slowly with your back straight and your face held high. You must not smile openly nor scowl; you will seat in front of the Queen at lunch, follow her actions with the cutlery and such; keep your hands on your lap between plates and DO NOT thank the servant. There will be four plates: the entries, soup, meat and dessert. When the Queen leaves the table, you'll follow her to the tearoom and by then you'll be able to speak freely as the king always retires after lunch. DO NOT speak during lunch unless someone asks you something.”

“Merlin, so many restrictions!” Ginny complained, washing her long hair.

“Don't worry, you'll get used to it.” Parvati smiled encouragingly. “You may come out of the water now…”

After her body was dried, Parvati made Ginny wear new pearly white undergarments and a corset.

“I don't need this thing…” Ginny complained, holding tightly to one of the bedposts, while the maid tied the corset as tight as she could.

“I know you are thin and don't need it, but it's standard fashion and you have to wear it… The ladies in high-society judge the others over how thin their waists are.” Parvati explained, tying the last knot and taking a step back to watch her work. “Perfect!”

“How can it be perfect? My stomach is glued to my back!” Ginny complained, her hands trying to bring some comfort to her chest, as it was completely squashed by the tight corset.

Parvati ignored her comments and helped her put on a magnificent midnight blue dress that hugged her upper body like a second skin and then flared in a beautiful arch until its hem caressed the floor. After the dress was perfectly straightened, the maid plaited Ginny's hair in two and twisted both plaits together at the nape of her head. She was ready.

“Oh my, is that me?” Ginny gasped, staring at the tall mirror in front of her. She could hardly recognize herself with all of those high-class items, but she felt nice… beautiful even, despite the damn corset.

“You are beautiful, Milady… Prince Draco is a lucky man.” Parvati smiled sweetly, leading Ginny out of the bedroom and down the hallways, towards the Dining Room. “The door is that one, at the end of the hallway. Knock twice and walk in, everything will be fine.”

”I hope so.” Ginny sighed and slowly walked towards the double doors. As she came closer and closer, the sound of a male voice yelling came to her ears.

“How could you? Among dozens of well-related and educated girls, you had to choose a starved piece of filth! Are you crazy?” the male voice yelled furiously.

`Must be the King…' Ginny thought, disliking him already.

“She's perfect for Draco…” came the voice of Queen Narcissa.

”This is a convenience marriage, not an emotional one!” he kept on yelling. “I want you to return her to her filthy house, if she even has one, and you'll choose a proper wife for Draco.”

“No!” Queen Narcissa replied furiously, but this seemed to be a bad idea. As soon as she said that small word, angry footsteps were heard and the Queen shrieked in fear.

Afraid that the King might hurt his wife, Ginny entered the Dining Room, hands joined on her front, an angelical look on her face and her spine as straight as a board. She had been correct in her assumptions… The King was holding the Queen by the arms, on hand raised and ready to hit her.

“Good afternoon.” Ginny said in a calm voice, although she felt nervous and sick after seeing such a low act from the King of Birmingham.

The King dropped his hand and immediately turned around to face the newcomer. He had long blond hair tied with a black ribbon at the nape of his head, his face was beautiful despite the angry lines around his eyes and mouth, the eyes were of a steely grey and he wore black velvet robes that contrasted with is white skin. His whole being exhaled strength and danger.

“Who are you?” he asked, watching her with fury in his face and curiosity in his eyes.

“I'm the starved piece of filth…” Ginny replied with a soft smile and watched the Queen shake her head and mouth `No', but Ginny ignored her.

“I see you were listening…” he sneered, eyeing her from head to toes with a disgusted face.

“Actually, I was born with the ability to listen and you have a loud voice I mean, only a deaf person won't be able to hear that!” She replied sarcastically.

“Don't mock your King, young girl…” he menaced furiously. “That backbone of yours will only bring you trouble in the future.”

“I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to mock you… I was just trying to make small conversation.” Ginny replied, angelically.

“Of course you were…” he scowled, clearly not believing her facade.

King Malfoy took his seat at the head of the table, while the Queen sat by his right and Ginny by his left, in front of the Queen. No words were exchanged throughout the meal, only the sound of the cutlery breaking the uncomfortable silence. Ginny kept on watching the Queen and tried to copy each of her movements, each action, each pose. Finally, the King finished his dessert and got up, throwing the white linen napkin on top of the table, before he left the room, his robes billowing behind him with the harshness of his footsteps.

The Queen left the table quietly, and motioned at Ginny to follow her in silence, towards the Tearoom. The room was small with a bookshelf next to the window and a fireplace in front of which were placed some chairs surrounding a round tea table. This room was much simpler than the rest of the palace, that it was almost surreal. This was a too simple room in a place so full of exquisite decoration.

“This is so cosy…” Ginny said, taking a seat in front of the Queen, as she served them both the tea.

“You shouldn't have done that.” Queen Narcissa said, stirring her tea thoughtfully.

“Done what? Add sugar to my tea?” Ginny asked, faking innocence.

“You know perfectly well what I'm talking about, Ginevra. You shouldn't have interfered and talked to him with that mocking tone of voice.” Queen Narcissa said, still not facing the young girl.

“He was going to hit you, My Queen. I may not be the smartest person or the richest one, but I have values and beliefs as well. I cannot stay quiet when I know that an innocent is being beaten or abused in any other way.” Ginny said seriously, holding the elder woman's hand in hers. “He may be your husband, but that doesn't give him the right to hit you.”

The lady just kept sipping her tea in silence, her eyes full of painful secrets.

“Where's your maid of company?” Ginny asked, noticing the absence of the other woman.

“Her mother is sick, she's away for a few weeks…” the Queen replied in a whisper.

“Oh, very well, I'm going to the bedroom take these clothes off and then I'll leave… I'm sure you'll find someone much better than me to marry your son. I've caused enough problems already.” Ginny said standing up from her seat and getting ready to leave the small room.

“No, please. You are the one I've chosen, and I believe I've chosen well. You haven't caused any problems, Ginevra, because they have always existed… ever since the beginning.” The Queen whispered sadly. “You'll be my daughter-in-law very soon, but until then there's a lot of work to be done. Mrs. Potter will be here soon to give you your first lesson.”

Ginny assumed she was referring to high-class etiquette, so she drank her tea in silence, wondering what secrets the Queen was hiding from the world, because her eyes showed all the pain in her soul.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door and a young woman with brown hair came in, her face serious, although her eyes showed warmth.

“Ah, Hermione Potter, how good to see you!” Queen Narcissa smiled at the young woman and they exchanged hugs. “You're looking wonderful, I believe Mr. Potter is the reason why?”

“Indeed, he is…” Mrs. Potter agreed with a shy smile and a small blush on her cheeks. Trying to divert the attention from her, Mrs. Potter looked at Ginevra and studied her attentively. “This is the young woman you wrote to me about? She is pretty, has a very nice figure, her hands are a little rough, but we can soften them with some potions…”

“I'm right here, you know? You don't have to talk about me as if I'm only part of the furniture!” Ginny replied coldly.

“And she has a temper too… Good choice my Queen! Draco will hate her for sure.” Mrs. Potter smirked.

“I hope so, my dear, because he'll find love through hate, I'm sure of that…” Queen Narcissa chuckled. “Let's start the lesson, shall we?”

For the next few hours, Ginny was taught proper table manners, poise, how to walk, how to bow properly, where to place her hands during various situations… by the end of those two hours she was tired with so many new things on her mind.

“Now, let's talk about dancing.” Mrs. Potter said, still sounding energetic. The small young woman seemed to be very intelligent and very eager to teach, but Ginny couldn't take anymore.

“I'm sorry, but I'm too tired. Can we please continue this on another occasion?” Ginny complained, her hands trying to move her corset away from her chest, so that she could breathe properly.

“Yes, of course. I'll be back tomorrow after lunch.” Mrs. Potter agreed with a small smile. “You know what, I like you and maybe we'll even end up being good friends You are doing a good job so far, and I will make you the most amazing Princess this country has ever known!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Potter. I'll see you tomorrow.” Ginny smiled somewhat painfully. The corset was killing her.

“It's uncomfortable, isn't it?” the Queen asked with a knowing smile, as soon as Mrs. Potter left the room.

“It sure is. Please, tell me I can remove it.” Ginny pleaded with sad eyes.

”But, there's dinner to attend and…”

“Please, let me eat in my room. I need some time to get used to all of these new things and I'm tired…” she reasoned.

“Very well, later I'll send someone with your dinner. Rest well, because tomorrow we'll have a big day ahead of us.” the Queen agreed with a gentle smile.

That was all it took for Ginny to practically run back to her room. The only things that kept her from actually running were the corset, the long dress and the high-heeled shoes. As soon as she entered her room, she immediately ordered Parvati to help her remove the dress and corset, and as soon as she wore her nightgown and released her hair from the braids, Ginny sighed with relief. There was nothing like the freedom of movement.

As soon as Ginny lay on her bed, she fell asleep and not even Parvati was able to make her wake up to have dinner. After all those hours of rest, Ginny woke up in the middle of the dark, her stomach growling with hunger. Not knowing where the candles were or how to light them up, she opened the window curtains so that the moonlight bathed the room, and this way she found a thin robe and a pair of slippers at the end of the bed. Putting them on, Ginny left her room in search of the kitchen, with her fiery hair flying around her body in large curls.

Being the clever girl she was, Ginny went to the Dinning Room and from there searched the kitchen. It had to be near… Opening doors as she went down a small corridor, she finally opened the door that led to a gigantic kitchen with cauldrons all over the place, trays full of fruit on top of the table and various cabinets surrounding the three fireplaces existent in the room. Apparently, the Palace held big parties, and the cookers had to make a lot of food. Opening some cabinets, Ginny found a box with ginger cookies, a jar of milk and a recently made cake.

Taking a plate of cookies and a glass of milk to one of the kitchen tables, Ginny was prepared to eat, but was interrupted by someone walking in. The room was a little dark, the only light coming from the small fire burning in the fireplace, and Ginny couldn't see who the person was, but she could tell one thing… it was a man wearing a Guard's suit.

“Woman, get me something to eat.” The deep, male voice ordered coldly.

“I beg your pardon?” she sneered, dipping a ginger cookie on her glass of milk and then ate it, causing the milk to run down her arm. “Hum, yummy…”

“I gave you an order… NOW!” he yelled furiously, stepping into the light, allowing Ginny to finally look at him.

She was surprised, to say the least… In front of her was a blond young man, wearing a Guard's suit, although it looked much more ornate and expensive than the other Guards' suits. His hair was cut short, showing off his perfect facial structure, and his steely grey eyes, now shining orange with the firelight.

“I would do no such thing!” Ginny replied coldly, as soon as her brain returned to activity. “Besides, I'm not your maid.”

“The thing is, you are…” he sneered, sitting in front of her. “Are you new around here, or something?”

“You could say that… HEY!” she yelled with indignation when the man stole her glass of milk and drank it in two gulps. “That milk is mine!”

“Well…not anymore.” He chuckled, trying to steal one of her cookies, but Ginny slapped his hands and held the plate against her chest.

“Find your own food, you git…” she growled, although she knew she was acting childishly.

“My Prince!” a female voice whispered in shock.

Both Ginny and the young man looked at the kitchen's door where an old woman stared at both of them with fear in her eyes.

“The Guard has told me that you had just arrived and were hungry. I came to serve you.” The old woman explained, still staring at the couple in front of her. “You shouldn't be here alone with her…”

“Why not? She's just a maid, isn't she?” he replied, managing to steal a cookie from Ginny's plate, as soon as she placed it on the middle of the table and got up from her seat.

So, this man was the Prince? This was her future husband?

“Don't worry, I'm already leaving…” Ginny replied, walking closer to the door. “Good evening.”

“Good evening, Milady.” came the answer of the old woman, and Ginny could feel steely grey eyes burning holes on her back with both shock and curiosity.

As she practically ran back to her bedroom, Ginny couldn't stop replaying the handsome sight that was Prince Draco Malfoy, but she also recognized how spoiled he acted and the superior way that he addressed to people.

Maybe Queen Narcissa was right, Prince Draco needed someone to make him realise that you must work hard to achieve your targets. And maybe… just maybe, that girl was her, Ginevra Weasley.

************

WOW! 43 reviews in a first chapter, that's absolutely wonderful…

First of all, I need to apologise to all of you. I know I usually post very often, but with this story, it won't be likely to happen.

Many of you asked if I had the story already written on computer and if I would post very often… No, the story wasn't written on computer, I'm re-writing it to fit the wizarding world, as I go along, and I won't post very often because these chapters are long and need a special attention to them. I want to make a good work.

Besides, I now have a BETA-reader, Violet Jersey, and she has been helping me with the story. She helped me correct this chapter, and she did a great work… Without her, it would have been a little childish and clichÃ©d. THANK YOU VIOLET JERSEY

So, the process of writing + the process of BETA-ing, will take some time. But don't worry; I always finish what I start.

Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Love, Carina

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3. First Contact

Chapter 3 - First Contact

“Milady, wake up…” Parvati called as she opened the thick curtains, allowing the bright sunlight to bath the whole room and fall on Ginny's face.

“Is it morning already?” she groaned, sitting up in bed with her eyes firmly closed against the light.

“Yes, it is and we must get you ready for breakfast. I've heard the Prince came back last night…” Parvati said, helping Ginny remove the nightgown and made her put on the corset.

Ginny remained silent and focused on getting dressed. She was still confused about what had happened last night. She had refused to serve someone she thought to be a guard, and they ended up making fun of each other. In the end, the knowledge that she had been alone in the kitchen with her fiancee, wearing only a nightgown and her hair uncovered, made her fear the Prince's reaction when he saw her the next morning. Would he recognize her and tell his parents what had happened? Would they expel her from the Palace?

In one hand, that wasn't so bad, she could go back to her humble home and live happily with her family. On the other hand, her father had seemed so happy to see her going to the palace, to become a member of the Royal Family. Well, she would have to wait for the confrontation.

As soon as Ginny was wearing her hair in braids, covered by a white silk scarf, and a light green dress fell at her feet, Ginny headed to the dinning room.

“Good morning…” she said, entering the room with a proper pose, only to find the Queen and the man from last night watching her curiously.

“Good morning, Ginevra! Draco, this is Ginevra Weasley…” Queen Narcissa said with a big smile.

“Nice to meet you, my Prince.” Ginny said in a sarcastic voice, bowing before him.

The Prince remained quiet, studying the woman before him with suspicion in his silver eyes. It was obvious that this woman was the same one from the previous night. The white scarf was so thin that the red colour of her hair showed through, the eyes held the same sarcastic and mischievous look in them. It was definitely her.

“Who is she, Mother?” he asked in a cold voice.

“Your bride…”

“My WHAT?” Draco yelled in shock, turning around to glare at his mother, but she just kept on eating her breakfast.

Ginny chuckled when she saw his shocked face and elegantly sat in front of the Queen and of the Prince, starting her meal as well.

“Draco, dear, you were taking too long to get married, so I took the liberty to choose your bride.” the Queen replied, caressing his pale face in a motherly fashion. “Isn't she beautiful?”

“Mother, I don't want to marry, yet! Why are you trying to ruin my short time as a bachelor?” he whined, glaring at Ginny when she chuckled at his behaviour. “Am I amusing you?”

“That, you are.” she laughed, but kept on eating.

“Draco, I'm not trying to ruin anything. You have always been a selfish prat, ever since you were a little boy. I know I'm at fault — I should have taught you better than that — but I didn't, and now I'm trying to make you see what it is like to be responsible.” The Queen said in a cold, angry voice. “You are the heir of the throne, Draco, and you need to learn how to take responsibilities. I'm sure Ginny will help you in that.”

“Hey, she's selfish as well. She didn't give me a cookie!” Draco mumbled, his face devoid of any emotion but his voice dripping with anger.

“What are you talking about?” the Queen asked, looking at Ginny with curiosity.

“Last night I woke up because I was hungry and went to the kitchen for a snack. Prince Draco arrived and started ordering me around as if I was his maid.” Ginny explained, a smile on her face directed at the Queen. “When I refuse to obey him, he wanted to steal my cookies. Of course I didn't let him get my food.”

“Selfish, that's what you are…” he mumbled, staring daggers at her.

“You did well, Ginevra…” the Queen chuckled. “Draco, don't expect her to obey to every single order of yours; she's a tough girl.”

“She probably has to be, considering her origins.” He sneered.

“What do you know about my origins?” Ginny asked with a raised eyebrow. If he had just found out about her presence at the Palace, how could he know anything about her?

“I've never seen you in any of our Debutante's Ball, or any other ball, actually. Weasley is not a high-class name, so, that leaves you to the lower class…” he reasoned, biting on a strawberry.

“Oh, the Prince actually has some brains!” Ginny gasped sarcastically. “Yes, I'm poor, I never had etiquette classes or learned to dance; but I've always had a loving family and will work hard to help my beloved ones. I may have callused hands and I may be no lady, but I sure can try, if only to prove to you that I can be your equal!”

“I believe I've found your weak point, uh?” he chuckled, trying to cover the surprise etched on his face. The girl had guts, he had to admit it. “Mother, when will we hold the wedding?”

“In four weeks, Draco. Next weekend we'll have the engagement party.” Queen Narcissa said, surprising the young couple.

“Aren't we in a hurry?” Ginny mumbled, poking the eggs with her fork, causing the egg yolk to spread around the plate.

“Very well…” Prince Draco replied and left the room with a kiss on his mother's cheek and a nod of his head towards Ginny.

“Why's he reacting so well?” Ginny asked herself, but the Queen heard her and took the chance to answer.

“Today, Ginevra, you'll learn how the royal marriages happen. First of all, there is a contract both parts must sign.” The Queen began her long explanation to a very attentive Ginevra. “By signing this contract, you are promising to be faithful to your husband, to have his first child within the next two years and if he desires more children, you shall give them to him. If you do not have a child within the time limit, the marriage shall be dissolved and the Prince shall choose a new wife. You must attend social events and behave according to your new status; you must always look like a happy woman, even if you're not. Appearances are everything around these people…”

Ginevra listened to everything, unable to make any comment. She was absolutely perplexed with the rules surrounding the most important members of the society.

“You will have your own bedroom, and Draco will call for you whenever he pleases. You will have no power in a bedroom nor outside of it, for that matter; the education of your children is up to you, but the child will spend most of its time with a nanny.” The elder lady kept on explaining everything to Ginny, a look of sadness once again on her face.

“Milady, did you follow all of those rules?” Ginny asked carefully, watching the Queen nod in agreement. “And, did you eventually fall in love with your husband?”

“I believe we should spend some time in the garden. It's a lovely day, isn't it?” the Queen said, avoiding the personal question, and soon, both ladies were walking around the extensive gardens, with the freshly cut grass and the beds of flowers spread sporadically in precise patterns, giving a beautiful colour to the scenery. There were several rosebushes, covered with different coloured blooms. Their wonderful perfume brought a smile in Ginny's lips. “So, what do you think of your future?”

“I don't know what to expect of it, Milady. There are so many restrictions, so many rules to follow, so many impositions to obey… I won't have the freedom I've always loved or a marriage full of love — something I've always dreamed about.” Ginny sighed sadly, sitting under a tree's shadow, watching the small city in the distance. The Queen listened to the young woman's sad voice, her own eyes staring off into the distance, remembering how difficult it had been for her to abandon her parents, when she had been chosen to marry Lucius Malfoy. Hopefully, Ginevra would have a different future next to Draco.

After spending a few hours walking around the garden, making light conversation, Ginny and the Queen went back indoors, and had lunch together. Neither the King nor the Prince showed up for the meal.

As soon as lunch was over, all Ginny wanted was to lie down and rest, but the Queen seemed to have different plans and led her to a new part of the Palace Ginny hadn't visited yet. This part of the Palace seemed much more opulent and very richly decorated. There were amazing tapestries on the wall as well as the floor across a hallway that was lined up with beautiful golden torches. Tall windows allowed a breath-taking view of the city and the Palace gardens. When they reached the end of the corridor, the Queen opened its golden double doors leading to the most fascinating room Ginny had ever seen.

When she was here, as a little girl, the party had been held in a small room, near the Palace's kitchens, and now here she was, in the biggest ballroom she could ever imagine. The ceiling was very high and ornamented with frescos of little cherubims, with three huge crystal chandeliers hanging from above; one of the walls was covered in mirrors while the opposite wall had dozen of high-ceiling double doors, allowing an enormous amount of light to shine the room's golden details. The floor was made of a shiny grey marble where you could actually see your own reflection and there was a small stage in one corner of the room. Onstage were four men, each of them holding a chords musical instrument.

“This room is absolutely breath-taking!” Ginevra sighed happily, twirling around in the middle of the room, arms wide open by her sides and head turned up to the ceiling, amber eyes watching the small cherubims, laughing as one of them waved at her.

”This is the ballroom, where we hold every single party for hundreds of guests…” Queen Narcissa explained, slowly walking to the middle of the room, signalled by a large coat of arms on the floor, beneath her feet. The Coat of Arms was round in black marble with a silver “M” in the middle. Two snakes form a circle around the letter, each one with its mouth on the other's tail — a symbol of continuity, infinite. “As you know, we'll hold an engagement party, where Draco will introduce his bride to high society. You'll have to act, look and feel like a perfect woman on that day, because hundreds of people will come here to study you, trying to find a flaw and spread fake rumours about you. Everyone will try to bring you down, Ginevra, but you're strong enough to ignore them.”

“I hope so.” Ginny mumbled, studying the small golden details near a window.

“Good afternoon, My Queen and Miss Weasley.” a female greeted joyfully, surprising Ginny, but the Queen simply smiled.

“Ah, Mrs. Potter, I was wondering when you would be here. I was starting the dance lesson.” The Queen smiled, as Mrs. Potter made a small bow and then approached them in the middle of the room. “I will sit and watch.”

“Very well, Milady… Now, on with the dance lessons; usually we dance the waltz in these parties, so we'll worry with that one for now.” Mrs. Potter said with a gentle smile, before her face turned serious and her tone of voice very professional. “When dancing, you must keep a safe distance from your partner, no body parts touching! Your right hand will be softly holding his shoulder while your left hand will be in his hand; do NOT move your arms at all, maintain them still but elegant. You can't refuse a dance to anyone, no matter how tired you are. In the ball, you should only speak about unimportant things like the weather, the date of the wedding or the beautiful ballroom. Do NOT speak to anyone about your private matters, your opinion on things or the details of this engagement.”

Ginny just took a deep breath and stared at Mrs. Potter, trying to understand how cold she would look to the guests if she didn't talk freely with them. Mrs. Potter just kept on dictating rules.

“Now that you know the basics, let's start your dance classes.” she said and with a hand signal from her, the four men started playing a soft melody. “Now, close your eyes, feel the music…”

Ginny obeyed, closing her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of listening to a live concerto for the first time in her life. It was beautiful the way the violin could communicate such emotion with those slow notes… it reached her soul, making her heart clench and a shiver run down her spine; it was as if the music was flowing in her blood and Ginny found herself crying without understanding why.

She was so focused on the music, her eyes shut to only feel its vibrations in the wide room, that Ginny didn't even realise as someone held her waist and left hand, and they both began to slowly move on the dance floor, a gentle waltz taking shape with their movements. Ginny remained with her eyes closed, for she was certain she was dancing with Mrs. Potter, but after a quick spin a strong male scent invaded her senses. It was a sweet yet deeply masculine scent, and Ginny loved it. Slowly she opened her eyes and gasped as she realized her partner was Prince Draco. This moment of surprise caused her to trip and she would have fell if it weren't for the Prince's arm surrounding her waist.

“Close your eyes, feel the music and let go…” he whispered in her ear, beginning to dance once again, but Ginny just couldn't concentrate due to their close proximity.

`Is this distance allowed?' Ginny wondered as each breath she took caused her chest to brush his.

“Ginevra, just do what I said…” his deep yet gentle voice whispered in her ear, making her shiver with the feeling of his breath on her sensitive neck.

Trying to relax, she obeyed him. After a few deep breaths Ginny was once again mentally tuned with the music and dancing gracefully in the Prince's arms.

Right then, everything was perfect…

The music stopped and so did the couple. Ginny opened her shiny eyes, her face flushed and a contented smile on her lips. She was absolutely breathtaking at the moment and Prince Draco found himself fascinated with his future wife.

“That was beautiful!” the Queen and Mrs. Potter both said with huge grins on their faces.

The interruption made Ginny and Prince Draco realise that they had been staring at each other for a few moments now, and they immediately took a step back away from each other, a small blush appearing on Ginny's face while the Prince just scowled.

“Ginevra, for a first time, you have danced beautifully…” Mrs. Potter smiled warmly, approaching the couple. “Of course, you could have done much better if it weren't for the awful partner.”

“Mrs. Potter, I'm in no mood for your horrid sense of humour right now. Excuse me.” Prince Draco spat coldly, turning an angry glare on Mrs. Potter and then, without even looking at Ginny; he kissed his mother's cheek and left the ballroom.

“What happened?” Ginny asked confused with his sudden change of humour. When he had been dancing with her he had been quite gentle but now… he seemed to have rancorous feelings regarding Mrs. Potter.

“Oh, that was just Prince Draco being his old self towards me.” Mrs. Potter sighed sadly, taking a seat near a window. “My husband and Prince Draco are not the best of friends and although I try to be his friend, joking with him and trying to reach his good side, Prince Draco just won't let me in, treating me just like what you saw right now.”

“Well, that's very rude of him.” Ginny mumbled, looking at the door through which he had left the ballroom.

“Don't worry about that. Lets practise some more?” Mrs. Potter smiled warmly and soon both women were dancing together at the sound of wonderful music, forgetting all about a certain ill-behaved Prince.

After spending the whole afternoon dancing with Mrs. Potter, faking a ball situation to show her ability at chitchat, after several attempts on learning to eat at a luxurious table, Ginny was absolutely tired and hardly able to breath. Like the previous night, Ginny got the Queen's permission to retire to her bedroom, but this time, she didn't fell asleep. Her brain was still working at a high rate and all she could do was take a bath with Parvati's help, nibble on some dinner and indulge in a good romance novel, sitting against the bed's headboard with a warm blanket covering her feet.

The romance revealed itself to be a grand piece of work and Ginny never noticed the time, so it was very late when she heard the fast sound of a horse running outside in the garden. At the moment the only light she had in the bedroom was a candle on her bedside table, so she rose from the bed and with the candle in her hand, slowly walking towards the balcony doors. Pushing the curtain aside, Ginny tried to look past the thick glass, identifying a dark figure riding a black horse, but she couldn't see who it was.

Without realising her actions, Ginny opened the double doors and stepped out into the small balcony, the candle's flame shivering menacingly under the gush of wind that ran through her body.

The Palace was a formidable construction although it only had two floors. The Royal Family used the top floor while Ginny stayed at one of the rooms at the ground level. This was the reason why she had easy access to the garden, through her balcony.

While looking at a nearby bed of white roses — her favourite flower — Ginny failed to notice the young rider standing before her.

“You love to break the rules, don't you?” he sneered, distracting her from her quiet stupor.

“I'm not breaking any rules, that I know of…” she spat coldly, not knowing how to behave towards her fiancee. He was so hard to read — If he was acting cold, Ginny would feel angry and behaved coldly towards him, but if he was warm and gentle, like he had been while they were dancing, she was rendered speechless.

“Oh, so, exhibiting your barely covered body around the garden, late at night, without a scarf on your head is allowed by the rules?” Prince Draco scoffed, running his silver eyes over her body, making her shiver inside.

“I just wanted some fresh air while on my room's balcony. Besides, I never intended on showing off my body, like you're implying.” She growled, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “A true gentleman wouldn't stare at a barely covered woman…”

“I am a man, just not that gentle…” he chuckled, just to see how she would react.

“Why… you annoying little…”

“Silencio!” Prince Draco muttered with a wave of his wand that had been hidden in his sleeve. The spell hit Ginny making her voiceless and even more furious. “If you're going to marry me, you'll have to learn to control your language, your emotions and your impulses. There will be times when you'll be mocked and become a victim of false gossips. Do attempt to act superior to those situations. You must maintain an elegant pose and unaffected appearance at all times. We are both in the same situation, despite our personal opinions, so let's try to keep our heads clear, shall we? Finite Incantatem.”

Ginevra stood still in the middle of the balcony, staring at him with both fear and sadness in her eyes. She no longer desired to shout at him, now that she was confronted with his words. Screaming at him wouldn't solve anything; it would only make things worse. They are to be married soon, and it would be easier for both of them if they just tried to get along.

“I'm sorry, My Prince, I shall retire now. Good evening.” She whispered softly, bowing before him and then turned around to go back to her bedroom.

Prince Draco had only met this young woman the previous night and already they had fought with each other several times. At those moments, the only emotions in her face were those of mischief, amusement, pride… but now, it was full of sadness, fear, resignation, making her amber eyes look dull and darker than they truly were.

Those emotions made him remember his own mother, a woman who had never been loved by her husband. As he grew up, Prince Draco had never saw his mother cry, but he noticed her downcast eyes, down turned lips, the sadness and the fear in her face whenever the King entered a room she was in. Those feelings were something he didn't desire for his wife to feel. Unfortunately, it would end up happening.

`Yes, but you might as well try to postpone those awkward moments.' he thought to himself, sitting straighter on his horse, Luar.

“Miss Weasley,” he called gently, watching her stop. “Would you like to ride for a few minutes?”

“I shouldn't disobey any other rules, my Prince. Besides, I've never been on a horse.” she mumbled, although her eyes sparkled with interest.

“Don't worry. Take my hand.” Prince Draco smiled, offering her his right hand as he positioned the horse to stand right besides her balcony's railing.

Smiling a little, Ginny extinguished the candle's light and threw it on the floor, before she placed a foot on the low railing and prepared to seat behind the Prince, but he stopped her by placing a hand on her left shoulder.

“Ladies don't ride with parted legs…” he chuckled with a wicked look in his eyes. “They ride sideways…”

Ginny watched him pat the space of horseback in front of him and blushed with the realization of how close they would be, but taking a deep breath, she propelled her body and sat on the velvety black fur, both legs on one side, trying hard to find somewhere to hold to keep her balance.

Letting out a gorgeous laugh at her discomfort, Prince Draco held her hands and placed them around his waist, making her body lean fully against his chest and then the horse started moving before she could change her mind about the ride.

At first, it was so strange, to feel all those powerful muscles working under her legs, but her body pressed so close to the Prince's, his velvety robes soft against her face, his hard chest moving slowly with each breath and his arms surrounding her waist to hold the reins were making her feel light headed. After a few moments of silence, Ginny began to look around her, taking in how different the garden was at night; the sound of water splashing in a nearby stone fountain was somewhat soothing There were several small ponds, surrounded by flowers and other plants at night. Their colours were non-existent but their sweet scents travelled with the wind.

“This is beautiful,” she smiled widely, taking a deep breath with her eyes closed and Prince Draco took a moment to study the woman in his arms. “What's his name?”

“Actually, it's a her. Her name is Luar which means moonlight.” Draco explained with a soft smile, while he directed the horse through the large lawn to a point from where they could watch the town ahead of them. “She's pregnant at the moment.”

“She is? Wow! But, is it alright for her to have us both on her back?” Ginny asked concerned, daring to pat the mare's long neck.

“It's perfectly alright. Would you like to see her baby when it's born?” he asked gently, trying to build a bond between them.

“I would love to, my Prince,” Ginny beamed at him, slightly tightened her hold on his waist.

“Draco. Call me Draco. there's no need for formalities between an engaged couple, Ginevra.” He corrected, watching her nod in agreement.

Feeling that now was not the moment to analyse his gentleness and politeness towards her, Ginny looked around her and found a nearby garden torch without any flame to illuminate it.

“Can you do something for me?” she asked, trying to sound secure of herself.

“What?”

“Can you allow me to perform a small spell with your wand?” she asked, expecting him to shout at her and to think she was crazy, but none of those actions took place.

“And how would you know anything about casting a spell?” he asked, stunned with her highly unusual request.

“I've been studying magic all my life, without anyone's knowledge.” She admitted with a blush on her cheeks. “But because of those stupid laws, I was never able to practise with a wand, and I never will, I guess.”

Prince Draco just studied her attentively for a few moments, trying to understand who Ginevra Weasley is, and how many wonderful talents she had yet to reveal.

“What spell do you want to perform?” he asked gently, surprising her with his acceptance.

“Just a small Lumus to light up that torch over there.” she said enthusiastically, freeing one hand from his waist to point at the lifeless torch.

“Well, Lumus is a very simple spell, I'm sure there's no problem in you performing it.” He agreed, offering her his wand, which Ginny took in her hands as if it were the most precious thing she had ever touched. There was an expression of pure excitement and happiness in her face that made him realise just how different she was from the other women he knew. She was fascinated with things that other women just ignored, as they only cared about looks and gossip.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny raised her arm with the wand safely clutched in her hand and made a swish movement as she said `Lumus' loud and clear. For a moment nothing happened and frustration appeared on her face, but then, surprising them both, the torch suddenly came to life with a small flame that kept on growing until it was uncontrollable and would probably start a fire if it wasn't put out. Seeing Ginny in a state of shock, Draco took hold of his wand and extinguished the scalding fire.

“And that is why women aren't allowed to perform magic.” Draco said, trying to hide his surprise behind a cold sneer. “They can't control their emotions!”

“I'm perfectly in control of my emotions! That only happened because I had never performed magic before.” Ginny replied, feeling very offended.

“Yes, but you almost burned the garden to ashes. Besides, you could have exploded my wand if your emotions had gotten even more out of control.” Draco teased, enjoying seeing her so angry, her flowing red curls framing her pale face where small freckles were sprinkled across her nose and cheeks.

“I'm sorry, ok? I was just trying to show myself that I could do this, but apparently, I can't. It doesn't matter, right? I'm going to live locked up in this Palace, being called whenever my husband wishes to see me like some scarlet woman, and not being able to express my true personality or ideas. I won't need magic to become a sour Princess, will I?” Ginny yelled furiously, finally allowing her frustration about the whole situation to come out of her system.

Feeling the Prince's shocked gaze on her, Ginny felt uncomfortable and with a small impulse she fell from the horse and landed on the grass on fours. Not caring about her bare feet on the wet grass, apparently someone had been watering the garden; she walked back to her bedroom's balcony, wanting to go back to the safety of her bedcovers. She had betrayed her own beliefs that women could perform magic, just like men, and she felt awful to see all of her plans for the future crumble around her.

Prince Draco sat still on his horse, watching his fiancee walk quickly towards her balcony, noticing the curved posture, sign of her sadness and frustration. She who had always seemed so secure of herself was now showing her frail side and all he wanted was to comfort her, just like he used to do for his mother; but he knew that, right now, Ginevra Weasley didn't want to show weakness before him, so it would be better to leave her alone.

At least for now…

****************************

Hello, everyone!

Sorry for taking so long to update, but my BETA, Violet Jersey, is very busy and she takes some time to return the revised chapters, but don't worry, they'll eventually come.

This chapter is too cheesy like my BETA warned me, but it is essential for the plot, to get to know Draco's character better and to prepare what's coming next. So, accept it ok?

Draco is not the usual cold bastard here. Why? Because he loves his mother dearly and he knows how hard it is for her to live with a man she despises. He doesn't want that for his wife, Ginny.

Well, the 3rd chapter is almost finished, then I'll send it to my BETA and post it as soon as it's possible.

Currently I'm studying because I have an exam next Monday, and I'm tired of so many hours sitting on my butt reading about children in the pre-scholar stage.

Thank you for the gorgeous reviews.

Lots of love,

Carina

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4. Unpleasant Tasks

Chapter 4 - Unpleasant Tasks

Morning found the Royal family gathered at the breakfast table, enjoying their meal in silence, the only sound coming from the cutlery hitting the fine porcelain. But unlike the other days, something was amiss, and that something had red hair, that matched her fiery temper. Ginevra wasn't having breakfast with them, she had sent no warning that she wouldn't be present, and this made the Queen wonder about what was going on with her son's bride. The answer came in the shape of a very worried and hysterical Parvati Patil.

“What's wrong with you, you creature?” the King asked surprised with such a dramatic interruption of his meal.

“I'm sorry, My King… but… but…” the girl could barely breath between sobs, which made it harder for her to speak. “She… I… not breathing…”

“Of course you're not breathing, you can barely stop sobbing! Take a deep breath and calm down…” Prince Draco ordered in a bored fashion, continuing with his meal.

The Queen rose from her seat and tried to calm down Parvati by rubbing her back. As soon as the girl showed signs of breathing normally, she tried to warn about what was going on.

”I went to Miss Weasley's room and woke her up, then I had to leave the room to fetch new towels and when I returned she still was in the bed. When I told her to wake up, she didn't move; I tried shaking her up, but she didn't... I panicked and tried to see if she was breathing. She is, but barely, and her body is burning up.” The girl explained worried. “I'm sorry for not noticing sooner that she was sick…”

“It's not your fault. She probably got sick during the night. Send a Guard to call Professor Snape as fast as he possibly can and bring me cold water and some towels to her bedroom.” The Queen ordered, watching the girl run as fast as she could towards the kitchen. The queen then faced her irate husband.

“Is that girl still here? What have I told you, Narcissa?” he yelled.

“She's staying because I've chosen her. I will not return her to her parents and that's final!” the Queen said furiously. “I have the right to choose my son's bride and you don't have to agree with me about my tastes.”

“Narcissa…” the King started menacingly, but Draco cut him short.

“Father, Miss Weasley will be perfect for my image. Just imagine, the whole kingdom will be ecstatic that one of them is a Princess with power to change things for them. Except that she has no power, but what they don't know can't hurt them, right?” Draco grinned evilly. “We'll have them eating in our hand just because of her.”

“Son, I like the way you think. You'll be a great King, just like me.” The King said with a big smile towards his son, then walked out of the room, his robes and long hair flying behind him.

Draco sighed in relief for being able to stop another fight between his parents, but when he looked at his mother, he realised that he had just won his mother's disapproval.

“I expected more from you, Draco. Honestly, I never expected you to like Ginevra after spending five minutes in her company, but I didn't expect you to use another human being to make yourself popular and respected,” Queen Narcissa said in barely controlled anger. “You're doing what your father usually does and I don't like it one bit!”

With that said the Queen quickly left the dining room and headed down the corridor to check on Ginevra, he was sure.

Had he truly meant what he had said about Ginevra being good for his image as King? Draco thought he had said that just to stop his parents' discussion, but maybe what he had said was what he truly thought of the whole situation. He was too confused to be certain…

*~*~*

Professor Snape had just entered the bedroom when another visitor opened the door, and Mrs. Potter came in, her face filled with worry.

“What's going on?” Mrs. Potter asked, looking at the sick Ginevra. “I came for our classes but Parvati told me Ginevra is sick.”

“Good morning, Hermione. Ginevra is burning with fever and Professor Snape is trying to find out what's wrong.” Queen Narcissa replied, placing a wet cold towel on the Ginny's forehead.

Professor Snape was a cold man with long black hair and black eyes, well known in the high-society and a very talented Potions Master, acting as a Healer when needed. Usually he didn't say much, excused himself from noisy events and was a rather private person, but his old friendship to both Lucius and, more recently, to Narcissa, made him try to be a little friendlier towards them. Trying to ignore both women, he performed the needed spells with smooth flicks of his wand and when the answer showed itself, he raised his eyebrows in fascination.

“So?” both women asked at the same time.

“This young woman is completely drained of magic!” Professor Snape said, confused and very astonished. “I've never seen such an occurrence in a woman…”

“What do you mean?” the Queen asked, clearly nervous.

“I mean, this girl used a huge amount of her magic, which caused a general breakdown on her body.” He explained, conjuring a couple of potion bottles. “I'll give her a Pepper-Up Potion to wake her up and lower her fever. She'll need rest and plenty of nutrients to regain her strength back.”

“But, how could she lose so much power? Women can't perform magic!” the Queen gasped, looking at Ginevra, hoping she would open her eyes and explain everything the older woman wanted to know.

The man shook his head as if to say he had no idea and gave the potion to an unconscious Ginevra. As soon as that was taken care of, Severus Snape said he would come back later and left the bedroom. He was sure a certain Draco Malfoy had the answers to his questions.

After searching the young man in the dinning room and main living room, without any success, Professor Snape found him in a small office where Draco had learned everything he needed to know as a small child. They were bookshelves against the walls, two large windows allowing some amount of light to bathe the room and a large desk where he had taught the boy about the mysteries and wonders of Potion's brewing.

“You look upset.” the Professor said, surprising his former pupil.

“Professor Snape, I didn't expect to see you. How are you?” Prince Draco asked cordially, his face filled with worry.

“Miss Weasley had a breakdown due to a great loss of magic. What happened with the girl?” the older man asked with a cold voice.

“Why do you think I know, Professor?” the Prince smiled slightly, wondering how his Professor always seemed to know when he was in trouble.

”Draco, I believe your worried eyes and the twitch in your left eye is clue enough. Besides, she had a button in her hand, very similar to the ones on your usual outfit.” Professor Snape sneered. “What happened?”

Sighing in defeat, Prince Draco told his former Professor about the previous night when Ginevra had performed the spell with his wand and what had happened after that.

“You allowed her to use your wand? Draco, you know women shouldn't perform magic because of your ancestors' law on the matter.” The Professor commented. “She did perform magic, but she lost control of it and that single spell absorbed a large amount of her power. It might take a few weeks for her magic levels to go back to normal.”

“Do you think women are as powerful as men? Do you think they can perform magic, just like us?” Prince Draco asked, feeling confused for finding evidence of Ginny's ability to perform magic.

“Women are equal to men, except for the sexual organs. They have magic in their blood just like men, and they can perform magic as well, but they are not allowed to have wands or to perform simple wandless magic.” Professor Snape said is true opinion, surprising his former pupil. “At the moment, we are ignoring many talented witches, and your bride knows that.”

Prince Draco remained silent, looking out one of the windows and thinking on what he had just heard. It was a delicate issue, but maybe it needed to be considered a little bit more. So lost in his thoughts, he never noticed his old Professor leave the small office.

At lunchtime, Queen Narcissa ate in silence, once in a while engaging in light conversation with Mrs. Potter, but always ignoring both her husband and son. She was relieved to know that Ginevra was feeling better, although a bit weak, but she was a healthy girl, and she would be ready for the Engagement Ball in two days. Feeling left out, Draco tried talking to his mother several times, but she was still mad at him for what happened that morning.

The Queen's afternoon was spent with Mrs. Potter making arrangements for the ball, choosing flowers and visiting their favourite clothes designer to order their new dresses. Just before dinner, Ginevra woke up and both the Queen and Mrs. Potter went to visit her, although the young woman refused to tell the origin of losing her powers. Leaving her to rest, Mrs. Potter returned home and the Queen went to the dinning room to have dinner alone.

*~*~*

Weak and childish, that's how she looked like, wrapped up in the white linen bed sheets, her long hair surrounding her pale face and the freckles standing out from her nose and high cheeks. Prince Draco had never been one to visit sick people and he wasn't about to start now, so he remained leaning against the closed door, watching his bride from afar.

Ginevra rolled in her bed, lying on her side facing him, but her eyes remained closed as the sheets slid down her arm to pool at her waist, revealing her nearly see-through white nightgown. She was beautiful, there was no need to deny such an obvious fact, and had he found her in town before this whole mess, he would have surely tried to get under her skirts.

Further thoughts was erased from his mind as Ginevra's eyes started fluttering open and she fixed her soft gaze on him, first confused and then cold.

“What do you want?” she groaned, sitting up against the headboard.

“Nothing, I just came to see if you had already died.” He replied, still leaning against the door, arms crossed in front of his chest. “So, how do you feel?”

“Like I want to be alone…” she replied coldly, not facing him.

“Professor Snape says you've lost a great amount of magical power but with time and a rich nutrition you'll be as good as new in a few weeks.” The Prince commented, watching her comb her tangled hair with her fingers and then braid it, her slender hands working elegantly with the soft strands of red hair.

“I already knew that. Can you leave me alone, now?” she sighed tiredly.

“Of course, Milady.” He replied sarcastically and then left the room, wondering if it would always be this hard to have a civil conversation with her. Apparently, each time they were together they ended up being sarcastic and angry at each other.

The new day brought new challenges that Ginevra preferred not to take. Both the Queen and Mrs. Potter entered her room in the middle of the morning, followed by ten young women with scared faces, their bodies covered with the familiar white dress and their heads covered with colourful scarves.

“Why are they all here?” Ginny asked, confused, as she sat against the bed headboard to properly face the girls.

“You must choose five girls to become the Prince's personal Bedmaids. “Queen Narcissa said tiredly, looking much older than she was.

“No, you can't make me do this! Please! It's hard enough that I have to marry him, but to choose his mistresses? That's insane!” Ginny gasped in shock and outrage. Apparently both the Queen and Mrs. Potter agreed with her on that, but that didn't change anything.

“Ginevra, you have to do it, no matter how hard or unfair it is. The Queen and I have been through the same situation and in the end each of us got different results in our marriage. The Queen was replaced with Bedmaids and I was successful in keeping my husband away from them, because we love each other. Nowadays they work as maids cleaning the house and cooking our meals.” Mrs. Potter whispered in Ginny's ear, to avoid being overheard. “If you manage to win Draco's love and fidelity, these girls won't be a problem.”

“The thing is, I won't have his love or fidelity, and he will use these innocent girls that I chose, and he'll destroy their perspectives of the future.” Ginny complained, feeling guilty that she had to destroy five innocent lives to please her husband.

“It has to be done,” Mrs. Potter sighed and sat next to the Queen, on a small couch. The ten girls remained standing, all of them looking nervous and scared, their eyes staring at Ginny as if pleading for her not to choose them.

The next hours were spent interviewing each girl, asking their wishes for the future, their plans, their family situation, everything that could help Ginny make her decision. Initially Ginny wanted to choose the ugliest five girls as a way to get revenge from Prince Draco. No one likes to have an ugly bed partner, right? Unfortunately the ten girls had been carefully picked out and were beautiful. The selection was then made considering their backgrounds. The girls who wanted to get married with the men they loved, have kids and work hard to give their children a future where left out; the ones who didn't have an idea of what they wanted were chosen. This way, there wouldn't be a waste of strong willed women.

As soon as the five girls were chosen, Parvati took them to their new quarters where they would be receiving their `education', whatever that implied.

Spending the rest of the day in bed, alone most of the time, allowed Ginny to think about how much she missed her family, her house, and her simple life. It was interesting how easily she had adapted to all the luxury surrounding her, but if she gave it some more thought, it wasn't that surprising. It's harder to have everything and lose all of it, than to have nothing and win it all. One thing, though, she didn't have now what she had had before -- the love of her family. Yes, she still had it, but she couldn't feel it now that she was away from her loved ones.

At last, the day of the ball arrived and Ginny was feeling ready to face the vipers Mrs. Potter had warned her about. After spending the whole day getting accustomed to being out of bed and on her feet again, she wasn't feeling sick anymore and was feeling quite relaxed after a warm bath.

“I'm nervous,” she sighed as Parvati combed her wet hair.

“That's perfectly normal, Milady,” Parvati smiled amusedly. “You'll be the centre of gossips, tonight.”

“Oh Merlin, I can even imagine what people will say about me; probably that my hair is too red, my skin too tanned and my body too fat.” Ginny mumbled, covering her face with her hands as Parvati finally finished pulling up her hair in a nice French twist, that showed off her elegant neck.

“Your hair is ready and, don't worry, Milady, they'll be blind with envy. Here you are, living in the Palace, being a close friend to the Queen, marrying the most beautiful Prince you could ever imagine, wearing gorgeous dresses and jewellery… they would give anything to be you, right now!” Parvati said truthfully, feeling happy when her words brought back a smile on her lady's face.

“Thank you for being here, Parvati. You've been a wonderful companion and friend since I arrived here.” Ginny whispered, hugging her maid.

“It's my honour to serve someone so deserving, Milady. Now, let's get you into that corset, shall we?” Parvati smiled, picking up the offending garment, receiving a displeased groan from Ginny, but still, she knew she had to be perfect tonight… well, as perfect as she could be. Obediently, Ginny went over to her bed and held on to one of the posts while Parvati tried to suck the life out of her lady's lungs with each pull she gave on the tying strings of the corset. At last, the corset was on and so was the huge skirt that would give volume to the dress.

“Parvati, what will I wear tonight? I don't remember the Queen saying anything about it.” Ginny asked worried, but Parvati simply smiled, approaching her with a large gown in her hands.

It was a beautiful dress made in a beige natural silk with beaded designs on the corset and bottom hemline. The cleavage was a bit lower than Ginny would have liked to wear and the dress had no sleeves, showing off her slightly tanned shoulders and arms, from spending time outdoors. The dress fitted perfectly, like all the other dresses in her wardrobe and Ginny wondered who made those clothes for her. A pair of high-heels, made with the dress' same fabric, completed the ensemble.

“You look astonishing, Milady.” Parvati smiled warmly.

Ginny nodded, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her slightly tanned skin contrasted with the light coloured dress, the corset pulled up her breasts slightly above the dress' cleavage and her waist was even thinner from the corset's tightness.

“Ginevra, you're divine!” gasped Queen Narcissa upon entering the room, wearing a beautiful silver coloured dress and a crown on her head, holding her hairdo in place.

“Thank you, Milady, the dress is beautiful.” Ginny smiled thankfully.

”Beautiful, but incomplete,” the Queen smirked, showing the velvet box she held in her delicate hands. “This has been passed from generation to generation, to the soon-to-be Princesses. It is now my turn to give it to you and one day it will be your duty to pass it on.”

Opening the box, the Queen chuckled at the look that crossed Ginny's face. Inside the box was a beautiful ring, surrounded by black velvet, made of platinum with an emerald surrounded by small diamonds. It was breathtaking and something Ginny had never dreamed of having in her fingers.

“Are you sure I can wear it? I don't want to lose it,” Ginny mumbled, not daring to touch the ring.

“You won't lose it, as the ring will link itself to you and no one but you will be able to remove it. Go on, try it.” the Queen said, extending the box towards Ginny who obeyed, slightly shaking. As soon as she slid the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand, it readjusted magically to fit.

“It's absolutely gorgeous, Milady.” Ginny mumbled, mesmerized with the jewel.

“I would love to have you wearing the matching necklace, but tonight you must show your natural beauty, and not the jewellery that can make you stand out and be the centre of attentions.” The Queen said, taking a last look at Ginny, and then smiled widely. “You're ready and looking absolutely perfect. Now, follow Parvati as she will take you to the library, where you'll wait for someone to fetch you for the party.”

Ginny nodded in understanding and followed Parvati towards a room near the Ballroom, the soft music echoing in the hallway, blended with the chatter of the guests. Parvati left her at the library's door with a smile and went back to the main part of the palace, so Ginny entered the room.

The library was quite large with several windows, covered by rich green velvet curtains, giving it a cosy environment. There were bookshelves on every wall and a few more aisles around the room, providing great hiding places and privacy. On one side of the room were two large desks in front of the marble fireplace, as well as two green armchairs just waiting for someone to seat and read a book. Ginny hoped she would be able to do so, very soon.

Her intensive study of the room was soon interrupted by the sound of a book being dropped, quite violently, on a desk.

“Merlin, you've scared me!” she gasped, placing a hand on her chest, right over her wild beating heart, trying to calm herself. It was just Prince Draco. That fact alone explained why he didn't bother to apologise to her. “Prat.”

If he heard it, he gave no reaction and sat by the table, reading the book he had previously dropped. Ginny tried to ignore him as well and began to walk around the bookshelves reading titles and making mental annotations to read this book or that one. When she stopped by a mahogany shelf to leaf through a copy of `Healing Potions', Ginny found her gaze diverted to a certain silver haired young man.

His blond hair wasn't very long, just brushing the tips of his ears and his forehead; the silver-grey eyes looked focused and slightly worried, his thin lips set in a scowl. Apparently he wasn't pleased with something…

Only when he cleared his throat, quite noisily, did Ginny notice he was staring back at her, and she blushed, lowering her gaze to stare at the rug.

“What were you looking at?” Prince Draco asked with a sneer, very interested in her answer.

“Nothing worth your interest,” she replied with a slight tremble in her voice, replacing the book on the shelf. The reply made the Prince scowl and he was about to start an argument when someone knocked on the door and a butler, whom Ginny had never seen before, entered the room.

“My Prince, the guests await you and your bride,” the butler said with a bow and then walked out the door, leaving it open as a clear sign for the couple to follow him.

The Prince remained by the desk, reading the book as if the interruption had never happened.

“If you're thinking about hiding in here, for the rest of the night, you're very mistaken… If I have to endure this, so you do. Shall we go?!” Ginny ordered in a serious tone, holding his arm with one hand and pushing him up, to stand on his feet, slightly towering over her.

Prince Draco just stared down his nose at her, anger clearly sparkling in his eyes, but then he leaned over her and touched her ear lobe with his lips.

“As you wish, Milady,” he whispered in a soft, menacing voice, taking her hand to place it on the crook of his elbow, and then led her out of the library.

Later that night, Ginny wondered what the corridor looked like during their walk to the Ballroom, but she couldn't remember. Her mind had been completely shut down after the sensation of having that gorgeous young man whispering in her ear.

******

Hello my dearest readers…

Here is another chapter, I sure hope you are enjoying the story so far and I hope you'll on like it in the future.

This chapter was somewhat a transition for what's coming next, and I sure expect to have that chapter finished really soon, but the ideas are having a little trouble coming out on paper.

Big Big BIG thank-yous to VioletJersey, my wonderful Beta who always has something to say to help me improve my plot… Her ideas and corrections have saved me several times already. Thank you!

Thank you to those who have been reading and reviewing, your words mean the world to me.

Oh, by the way, I've recently read two books from one of my favourite writers, Nicholas Sparks, and I hope you find the time to read them, because they've made me cry my eyes out… They are both fantastic and one his the Sequel of the other:

“The Notebook” and the Sequel: “The Wedding”… They are both MUST READs.

Lots of love,

Carina

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5. The Engagement Ball

Chapter 5 - The Engagement Ball

“This is it…” Ginevra sighed, when the couple stopped in front of the double doors leading to the Ballroom. The sound of the chords instruments were almost succeeding in calming her nervousness, but not completely. The man holding her arm was silent and his face was expressionless, making her fear his behaviour towards her throughout the night.

From the other side of the double doors, the music stopped and the voices grew silent as a man's voice announced the entrance of Prince Draco of Birmingham's Kingdom and his bride… Her name wasn't said, for her new position, alone, was enough introduction.

`That's right, I'm the Prince's bride, not Miss Ginevra Weasley…' she sighed inwardly, discontent with the disrespectful introduction, but remained silent, for she was expected to be submissive and quiet.

The double doors opened and Prince Draco started moving once again, pulling her arm to make her follow him, by his side. Although she tried to keep her face blank, Ginevra couldn't erase the soft smile of amazement that filled her face. The Ballroom was as beautiful as it had been on the day of her dance lessons, but today it was spectacular, thanks to the hundreds of people filling the dance floor, drinking Champagne from crystal glasses, practically glowing with the light of hundreds of candles hanging on the crystal chandeliers.

“If I were you I would shut my mouth before you drool on your dress…” an amused voice whispered in her ear, making her shiver involuntarily and quickly obey.

Both the Queen and the King approached the couple and welcomed them to their Engagement Ball.

“Thank you… Mother, you're looking perfect, as always.” Prince Draco smiled although his eyes showed awareness and… worry? What was he worried about?

“I haven't forgotten your words, Draco…” the Queen replied coldly, not even a trace of the smile she usually wore on her lips, and that was what worried Ginevra the most. Usually the Queen showed a beautiful smile when she saw her son, or even Ginevra, but now, she looked so furious. “Come, we'll introduce you to all of our guests.”

The King and the Queen interlaced their arms and began leading the way to the centre of the Ballroom, while Ginevra and Prince Draco followed closely behind.

“What have you done to her?” Ginny whispered, looking at his impassive face, trying to understand what was happening between mother and son.

”That matter does not concern to you…” he replied, facing her with a cold sneer, although his eyes still showed the worry and sadness he was feeling.

“It must have been something bad, she loves you too much to get mad at you over something insignificant.” Ginevra whispered, trying to get him to say the truth, but he remained silent.

The Royal Family, Ginevra included, stopped in the middle of the Ball Room facing the guests and a man, wearing a long black robe with the Royal Family's Coat of Arms embroidered on the chest, opened a long piece of parchment and started calling the guests, couple by couple, to congratulate the Prince and his bride, and to say the usual pleasantries to the King and Queen.

After giving fake smiles to several couples, Ginny was bored and tired… All the women seemed to be checking her out, trying to find something to criticize and it was unnerving her, but all she could do for now was to fake a smile and a sweet `Pleasure to meet you' or `That's a beautiful dress and it looks superb on you, Milady'.

By her side, Prince Draco talked with his guests showing great ease and relaxation… but once in a while, Ginevra would notice that his eyes focused on a corner of the room, although his mouth kept on speaking with the guests they were currently receiving. Following his gaze, Ginevra found a woman with dark hair, wearing a very revealing pink dress, looking straight at Prince Draco with a seductive smile on her lips. That sight shouldn't have bothered Ginevra, but the reality was that it did and she felt confused for that.

How could he flirt with another woman when he was presenting his bride to high-society? He could at least wait until the end of the introductions… people would notice if he kept staring at the woman.

Thankfully the next couple was the Potters and Ginevra distracted herself noticing how beautiful Hermione Potter looked that night in a deep blue satin dress and saw her husband for the first time. Mr. Harry Potter was a young man with black hair and fabulous green eyes that sparkled under the candlelight, he was slightly taller than his wife, looking very elegant in his ceremony robes and the main point of interest was his smile… a smile that showed nothing but happiness and peace, probably the effect of being married to such a wonderful woman like Hermione.

“Mrs. Potter, you look beautiful tonight…” Ginevra smiled, the first true comment and smile of that night, while she extended both arms to hold Hermione's hands in hers. “Mr. Potter, it's a great pleasure to place a face on the man I heard so much about…”

“I hope you've heard good things…” Mr. Potter smiled, taking one of Ginevra's hands and then made a small bow as he kissed the back of it. “My wife told me great things about you, Miss Weasley, and I'm sure she was right in everything she told me… You really are quite beautiful.”

“Oh, thank you, Mr. Potter… Hermione, you must had `Excellent flatterer' to your descriptions of your husband.” Ginevra chuckled, ignoring the angry looks Prince Draco was throwing at her and the two guests.

“He only speaks the truth, Ginevra… You do look beautiful tonight, even a blind man could see that.” Hermione joked, turning towards Prince Draco. “Good evening, Prince Draco…”

“Good evening, Mrs. Potter, Mr. Potter.” Draco replied and that was all he said before he turned his attention to the couple following the Potters.

“We'll talk later, Ginevra…” Hermione whispered before she and her husband stepped away to be received by the Queen and King.

“That was rude…” Ginevra hissed in the Prince's ear. To anyone else, it would look like she was whispering sweet nothings in his ear, but the truth was she was furious with his attitude. The Potters were very nice people, couldn't he see that? Once again, Prince Draco ignored her and kept on talking with the couple they were receiving now.

After five more couples, Mr. Blaise Zabini and Miss Pansy Parkinson approached the Prince and his bride. Mr. Zabini, a good-looking young man with black hair, made a small bow while Miss Parkinson, the woman the Prince had been observing, made a curtsey.

“Hello Draco, I haven't seen you in a while…” Mr. Zabini smiled, showing a big familiarity towards the blond man.

“I've been out of the kingdom taking care of a few things… Pansy, looking wonderful as always.” Prince Draco said in a sweet voice that made Ginny frown and Miss Parkinson to smile even more.

“I always try to look my best for you, Draco, you know that.” She replied, caressing his chest with one of her ring filled hands.

Having had enough of such displays of dubious affection, Ginny stepped in front of the Prince and leaned her back against his chest.

“My dear Miss Parkinson, I'm sure you're having a wonderful time touching and caressing Draco, but I'm very possessive, you see, and I really don't like to share.” Ginny said in an exaggeratingly sweet voice.

“Sometimes, we are forced to share, even if we don't want to, isn't that right Draco?” Miss Parkinson replied, winking at the blond man, in a clear declaration that their personal relationship would continue. “I've missed you…”

“Blaise, please take her away from my bride… I can't handle two wild cats at the same time.” Prince Draco sighed tiredly, surrounding Ginny's waist with one arm, trying to keep her from attacking the dark haired woman, something she had been about to do, after the last comment.

“Come, Pansy, we better move along now.” Mr. Zabini warned and pulled the girl away before both women started a fight.

Ginevra smiled amusedly for the rest of the presentations feeling satisfied for having confronted the woman she was considering a threat. Why she was a threat if Ginny didn't love the Prince? Well, he was going to be her husband, so why be quiet and watch him flirt with other women? He was hers… or would be, very soon.

After receiving the last couple, Ginny and Prince Draco had to open the dance floor with three consecutive dances and it was then that the Prince took the chance to be mad at her.

“What did you think you were doing? Miss Parkinson is an old acquaintance and you shouldn't have said those things to her.” He whispered furiously while they danced the first notes of the waltz.

“I can see why she is an old acquaintance, my Prince and I can tell you that I won't stay silent while you flirt with her… We will be in a marriage that we both don't want, but still, you will be MY husband and I will not accept your mistresses.” Ginny replied quickly, trying to keep the fake smile on her face, for the sake of appearances.

“You will have no say on that matter…”

Nothing, not even the music, was able to remove the frown from her face after that comment. He had just told her in other words that he would have mistresses and he didn't care about what she felt. Prince Draco ignored her, guiding her through the empty dance floor elegantly. Several women had gathered in small groups and stared at the couple with obvious distaste and revulsion… probably directed at Ginevra.

“Will I have to remain by your side after this last dance?” Ginny asked coldly, not even bothering to look at him.

“No. I don't like to have people clinging on me…” he replied coldly, not noticing the furious look on his bride's face. “You can sit in a corner and study my guests. Maybe you'll learn how to behave by watching them.”

The Prince expected her to reply furiously and when she didn't, he looked at her, shocked to find her biting her lower lip, her chin almost touching her chest. He hadn't hurt her, right? He had not meant to…

“Ginevra?” He said, hoping she would look him in the eye, but the music came to an end and she quickly left his embrace to walk towards the back of the room, where the Potters were seated. On the way there, she was approached by a large group of women.

“Hello, my dear, what a beautiful dress… How lucky you are to have Queen Narcissa choosing your dresses. But, that hair… you could try to dye it, couldn't you? It's a little too… red; and look at your skin! It's all ruined from the sun. Where have you been? On tea plantations?” the women criticized openly and laughed hysterically has if they had said something extremely funny.

All that Ginevra wanted was to answer back with the same venom, but Hermione saved her from doing so, leading her to the table she was occupying with her husband.

“How are you?” she asked as they sat facing the whole room.

“Furious, hurt, lonely, scared… I want to go home…” Ginny mumbled, trying hard not to cry. She was tired from having to be someone she was not.

“Oh my friend… It's hard, isn't it?” Hermione sighed sadly, holding Ginny's hand gently.

“How can they be so ridiculous, such vipers? And Draco! How can he fawn over that woman while he's presenting me as his bride?” Ginny complained, staring at Draco talking with Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson, while he drank one glass of whiskey after the other, his arm surrounding the dark haired woman's waist possessively.

“Draco is known for engaging in improper behavior with her at parties and social events.” Hermione revealed sadly, patting her friend's hand. “Why are you feeling so angry? Do you love him?”

“No, I don't love him, but I don't hate him either… It's just that I can't understand how men can be so unfaithful and cruel to the women they are committed to.” Ginny explained and then realized that Hermione was smiling at her husband. “Well, you're a lucky girl, you won a unique piece of male who loves you deeply and never considered having mistresses…”

This made Hermione and her husband laugh, followed by Ginny.

“Forget about her, Miss Weasley, this is your first party and you should be having fun, not pouting in a corner of the room.” Mr. Potter smiled encouragingly, standing up to bow before Ginny. “Would you give me the pleasure of this dance, Milady?”

Ginny looked at Hermione for authorization and she gave it, smiling widely, then took Mr. Potter's hand and allowed him to guide her to the dance floor.

“Mr. Potter, may I ask you something slightly personal? You don't have to answer, if you don't want to…” Ginny asked softly, as they danced gracefully.

“Say your question and maybe I'll answer…” Mr. Potter replied with a twinkle in his emerald green eyes.

“Why is the prince so angry towards you?” she asked the one question that had been plaguing her for quite some time, now.

“Oh, that story is an old one, from our time at the magical school… Draco always had several boys around him, satisfying every whim of his, and he wouldn't take a `No' for an answer…” Mr. Potter explained with a sad smile. “I was the one to say no when he offered his friendship… Well, when he offered me the privilege to be his `humble servant', if I understood his intentions correctly. Since then, he did everything in his power to make me look bad and I began to see him as an enemy as well.”

“After the little I've seen of him, I can only imagine how he was as a child…” Ginny chuckled, imagining a twelve year-old Prince Draco with several boys bowing at his feet, satisfying every single of his whims like he was some kind of God. “Thank you for satisfying my curiosity, Mr. Potter, now I can understand him a little better.”

“Please, call me Harry… Hermione as known you for such a short time but she loves you dearly already, and I'm sure she would be happy to see us becoming friends, as well.” Mr. Potter replied with a huge smile.

“Thank you, Harry, I like her very much. She's a wonderful woman…”

The music soon ended and another man took Ginny's hand to dance with her, but no words were exchanged during the dance. After that man came Mr. Zabini, smiling widely although his eyes showed a hint of nervousness that made Ginny wonder what was going on.

“You look wonderful tonight, Milady…” he said in a soft voice as they began their dance.

“Thank you, Mr. Zabini… So, I take it that you are one of Draco's old friends?” she replied, trying to make small conversation and find out information at the same time.

“Yes, Milady, since we were little babies…” Mr. Zabini said, throwing a worried look over Ginny's shoulder, his eyes searching frantically for something.

“Mr. Zabini, are you looking for someone?” she asked curiously. He was obviously worried and searching something or someone, so why was he spending his time dancing with her? There was something going on, and she knew it. After all, she had lived her whole life dealing with six older brothers…

“Oh, nothing at all, just recognizing some people I know.” He lied with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, as he once again looked over her shoulder to the same spot as before. For the first time, Ginny noticed that although they had been dancing the waltz, Mr. Zabini had been avoiding turning them around so that he could stay focused on something, while Ginny had to face the other dancing couples… This was all she needed to be sure that something was going on on her back, and Mr. Zabini didn't want her to see it. Gathering her strength, Ginny turned them around so that she could face the background.

There was nothing over there… Just an old lady dozing off with a glass of Champagne dangerously slipping from her hand and a narrow door. Surely Mr. Zabini wasn't worried about the glass of Champagne falling on the floor, or the old lady, so, the only thing left was the white door and what was behind it.

“Mr. Zabini, if you're so anxious about going there, why don't you go now?” Ginny asked, testing him. “You can't stop looking at that door…”

“What… what door, Milady? I wasn't looking at the door…” he replied nervously, trying to lead her into the middle of the dancing couples, to hide her view from said door.

Not caring about what people said, Ginny stepped out of his arms and quickly made her way through the dancing couples, stopping only when she got to the door. As she placed her hand on the doorknob to open it, Mr. Zabini grabbed her arm roughly, stopping her gesture.

“Milady, you really shouldn't do that… Let's go back to our dance, shall we?” he asked seriously, the panic evident in his eyes. Pushing him aside, Ginny extended her other hand to open the door and just as she was turning the doorknob, the door opened from the inside and Prince Draco appeared in front of her, with a huge smile on his face that disappeared as soon as he saw Ginevra.

“Ah, hiding your best friend, were you, Mr. Zabini?” she asked with a fake smile, trying to look behind Prince Draco. “Who else were you hiding?”

The Prince blocked her view to the inside of the room and became angry.

“Your curiosity will lead you nowhere… Go back to your Potter friends, now.” He ordered angrily with a scowl on his face.

“You're definitely hiding something… or someone.” Ginny grinned and supporting her hands on the Prince's shoulders, she raised herself on her toes to look behind him, gasping in shock at the sight of a very disheveled Miss Parkinson putting on her silk socks and shoes, while her dark hair escaped from the bun she had been wearing in the early evening. “Well, Mr. Zabini, you must be a very good friend if you allow Prince Draco using you to hide his affairs from the public… Don't let him step on you like this, no matter how long you two have been friends, you'll be only hurting yourself just like he's hurting the other people around him.”

Mr. Zabini just looked at her with sad eyes, trying to ask for the forgiveness he knew she wouldn't give him. Ginevra tried to walk away but the Prince held her arm violently and made her face him.

“Ginevra, don't you even think of…” Prince Draco growled in a low dangerous voice, but she interrupted him with a glare, her eyes burning in anger and her skin glowing with the candles' light.

“Don't you dare threaten me, `Prince Draco Malfoy'!” she spat angrily, pointing an accusing finger at him, poking his chest painfully. “If you didn't want people to comment, you shouldn't have had this `escapade' of yours in the middle of the party. Thank you for the dance, Mr. Zabini…”

“My pleasure, Milady…” the young man replied with a small bow and watched her cross the ballroom, going back to Mr. and Mrs. Potter's side. “You don't deserve her, Draco… you'll only hurt her.”

With that said, the dark haired man turned around and walked away, leaving a shocked and angry Prince behind.

“She's turning everyone against me!” he groaned angrily when he felt Miss Parkinson circling his waist with her creamy-white arms. “Or maybe I'm the one turning them away… What do you think, Pansy?”

“Who cares about what the others say?” she replied, kissing his shoulder from behind his tall frame. With a scowl, Prince Draco steeped away from her embrace and walked among his guests, taking a couple more whiskeys to calm down.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Potter and the Queen were trying to calm down a very angry Ginevra Weasley, her face almost as red as her hair, her fingers flexing like a cat's claws and her mouth set in a deep scowl.

“How could he? Does he have no respect?” she hissed, trying to avoid looking at the couple embracing in front of the open door where she had left them.

“Oh, Ginevra, try to calm down… You shouldn't let him get you this angry.” Mrs. Potter whispered, trying to calm down her friend with a slow massage on her back.

“Well, too late for that, I'm already furious!” Ginny replied angrily and then blushed in shame. “I'm sorry, My Queen, I shouldn't behave this way in front of you…”

“Don't worry, I know exactly how you're feeling, my dear…” the Queen replied angrily, her eyes shooting daggers at her irresponsible son. “Come with me, the guests are starting to leave and we must say our goodbyes.”

Taking a couple more deep breaths, Ginny followed the Queen to the double doors, the only exit of the large room. Soon enough the King joined them, as well as the Prince, and the guests started to gather in a long line to say their goodbyes.

While they repeated `Goodnight, thank you for your presence' over and over, Ginny did her best to ignore the young man by her side and knew he was ignoring her as well. Finally the last guests approached them… Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson.

“Goodbye, Pansy, send my compliments to your parents and tell them I've noticed their absence tonight.” The King said amicably and quickly exited the room, but the couple remained there, Miss Parkinson right in front of Ginny, studying her attentively.

“It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Weasley.” Miss Parkinson said in an overly sweet voice, full of mockery.

“The only thing you met tonight, slightly related to me, was Draco's endowments, so drop the fake pleasantries.” Ginny spat, gathering her skirts in her hands and left the room with her head held high. The Queen just stared at Ginevra in shock before a large smile appeared on her face and then laughter.

“What's so amusing, Mother? That was very rude of her, you know?” the Prince complained, staring coldly at his mother.

“She's fantastic… And she only said the truth, Draco. Show your friends the way out, will you?” the Queen ordered, returning to her private quarters with a wide smile still on her face. She wished she had had Ginevra's temperament when she had been Lucius Malfoy's bride.

As soon as Miss Parkinson and Mr. Zabini left, Draco went to Ginny's bedroom, tripping on his feet on the way there, but still sober enough to find her rooms and enter without knocking, just when Parvati was removing the corset from Ginny's body. Luckily she was wearing a white silk nightgown underneath.

“What do you want?” she asked coldly, while Parvati helped her dress a silk robe to protect her from the cold and from the Prince's indiscreet gaze.

“You have no right to treat a member of the high-society the way you just did. It was low and unintelligent and you'll write her an apology letter tomorrow…” Prince Draco ordered coldly, staring furiously at her.

“Parvati, you may retire…” Ginny said, smiling as the girl left the room and then turned to him. “A few days ago I had to choose five innocent girls to be your Bedmaids… I've destroyed five futures for you to have all the pleasure you want and you go around the parties, flirting with that Pansy woman, doing Merlin knows what behind closed doors! I may not be high-class, but I know that's rude and incorrect, especially at your own engagement party… Do you want to marry her, instead? Go ahead, then, and I'll go back to my normal, happy life…”

“Ginevra, am I mistaken or are you acting like a jealous wife?” he sneered, his words slightly slurred from the alcohol he had ingested that night, but nothing shocked her more than when he grabbed her forcefully by her arms and slammed her against a wall.

“To be jealous I would have to like you, which I don't! Now, let me go…” she commanded, slightly scared with his violence and the odd sparkle in his silver-gray eyes.

“You can have what she had, you know?” he whispered, raising her arms above her head, pinning her body against the wall with his own and grinding his hips against hers, allowing her to feel the slight protuberance against her stomach, scaring her even more. Holding both of her hands in one of his, he slid the other down her body to grab her backside forcefully.

“Unhand me right now!” she ordered, her voice scared about what he would do. “You're intoxicated…”

“Yes, I'm drunk, but I can still enjoy your touch… Isn't this what you wanted?” he whispered, lowering his head to kiss her lips softly in a feather-like kiss. It was just a brush of lips but it was enough to make Ginny flush red and her eyes to open widely in shock.

All traces of fear were gone as soon as he kissed her again, this time more passionately, nibbling her lips as he kissed her hard, forcing her mouth open with a bite on her lower lip and then their tongues met, making Ginny whimper in both shock and confusion. She had never been kissed and had absolutely no idea that she was supposed to open her mouth like that… but it was nice and pleasant. His mouth tasted sweet, probably from the whiskey, and his tongue was gently exploring her mouth; circling her own tongue into his mouth in a gentle, although deep, kiss. After what seemed a long time, although it had been just a few minutes, Prince Draco broke the kiss, but his body remained against hers.

“Are you still jealous? Do you still want everything Pansy had tonight?” he panted, rubbing his erection against her hips, making her gasp in shock. Unable to speak after what she had just experienced, Ginny shook her head, clearly saying `No'.

“Ah, that's too bad… Do try to behave properly and don't mistreat our guests. Goodnight.” The Prince said with an evil grin, leaving the room with a shocked Ginevra leaning on the wall for support, her lips red and bruised from his rough kiss; her face red with embarrassment and a touch of desire.

“Oh sweet Merlin…” she mumbled before her legs gave out under her, and she fell on the floor. Slowly she raised a hand to her mouth, her fingers gently touching her swollen lips. Prince Draco Malfoy had just kissed her and made her want him for the first time ever, and she was shocked to realize that she had enjoyed it and could hardly wait for a repeat performance.

******~~~~~~******

Hello my dear readers, I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, but there are some activities going on which delayed this update.

This chapter is the BETA-ed one by my dear Violet Jersey and she found me a Grammar BETA as well, which helped me loads in this chapter: Animagus_Steph. Thank you so much, both of you.

Classes have already begun at my college and we already made the freshmen suffer. If you want to see pictures of my freshmen and me just ask for it and I'll send you an e-mail. The older years wear a specific outfit on party days and the freshmen were plastic as clothes and paint on their faces… It's fun.

Thank you so much for the great reviews and for reading… It's great to have people enjoying something I write.

Love, Carina

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6. A new life is born

Chapter Six - A new life is born

“Good morning, Ginevra, did you sleep well?” Queen Narcissa enquired the following morning at breakfast, when the pale young woman entered the dining room.

“Good morning, Milady, my Prince... This night I had some trouble sleeping, but I'm sure it was only due to the excitement of the party…” Ginevra replied sweetly and in fact she was saying the truth… well, half the truth as she was certain that being kissed by the Prince had been part of the reason why she had spent the most of the night thinking about the tingling she had felt all over her body and the way he had felt against her. She was now sitting in front of the Queen and by Prince Draco's side, not sure on how to behave around him after the previous night. So far he hadn't said one word to her, not even glanced her way, and Ginevra analyzed this behavior as his way to say `It never happened so leave me alone….'

For the next few moments the only sounds in the dining room came from the cutlery softly touching the china and from the pages of Prince Draco's newspaper. Apparently there was an interesting article that caught his attention and made him choke on his coffee. The Queen looked curious at his reaction and forgetting her quarrel with him for a few moments, enquired what was so shocking in the news.

“It's an article about last night's party.” He replied quickly, but obviously omitting information from both women.

“And what could ever be so shocking about our party, Draco?” the Queen pressed on with a hard glare towards her son, making him reveal the whole information.

“Just a few comments about Ginevra and about myself…” the Prince explained, folding his newspaper and placing it on top of the table so that he could use both hands to have breakfast. He was so busy reaching for the cheese that he failed to keep his mother from grabbing the paper and opening it to the article's page. “Mother, really, don't read it, it will only make you angry…”

But the Queen was strong willed and quickly read the article with an angry frown on her usually gentle features.

“That bad?” Ginevra mumbled studying the Queen's expression. What could they have possibly written about her? That she didn't deserve the Prince? That she was marrying for the money? What?

“They were very rude writing such things about the Royal Family for everyone to read!” the Queen complained, throwing the newspaper on the floor in a clear gesture that the article was just garbage. “It only commented that Draco spent the whole night finding pleasure with Miss Parkinson while his best friend, Blaise Zabini, distracted you on the dance floor; that your gown was ridiculous, that your waistline wasn't elegant, that your hair is too red, your skin too tanned and your hands too rough… The usual viper comments, don't you agree?”

Ginevra's face showed hurt and shame, but she merely nodded in agreement and kept sipping her tea. She would never be fully accepted by the high-society and in truth, she didn't need them at all, but still it hurt to be talked about in such a harsh way for the whole Kingdom to know.

“Ginevra, don't care about what they say… Even if you were the most perfect woman in the world, they would still criticize you just to start rumors. Do not, I repeat, do not pay attention to that garbage!” the Queen commanded heatedly, trying to keep her future daughter-in-law from becoming exaggeratedly self-conscious and with a low self-esteem. “They are just jealous…”

“Jealous? Who are they jealous of? Me or Pansy Parkinson?” Ginevra replied coldly, surprising both the Queen and the Prince, making him choke on his coffee once again. “Jealous that I was being distracted by Mr. Zabini while my husband-to-be indulged in Miss Parkinson's … treats? Or jealous that Miss Parkinson is the lucky girl having fun with the Prince?”

“You stop this nonsense right now!” Prince Draco ordered furiously, standing up from his seat to tower over Ginevra menacingly.

“What is it, my Prince? Does truth hurt?” Ginevra hissed, even though she knew she had already said more than she should have, but all the pent up frustration from last night, all the hurt, were now coming to the day light and she couldn't stop the words from being said.

A sudden pained look crossed the Prince's face before he left the dinning room in a hurry, closing the door with exaggerated violence, making an empty tea cup fall from it's plate, on top of the table.

“Oh Merlin, I've said too much…” she whispered to herself, feeling slightly guilty of becoming so bitter towards him, so soon after the magnificent kiss they had shared last night.

“No, you haven't, my darling. The way he behaved at the party was improper, and he knows it…” the Queen replied gently.

“Still, I should have kept those words to my self. When I see him, later in the day, I'll apologize…” Ginny said, feeling a slight weight settling on her chest. She had been too harsh on him, she knew that and felt bad for hurting him, but he had hurt her as well, spending the whole time with a mistress and leaving her alone to face the people he knew so well and she had no idea of.

Ginevra and the Queen spent their morning reading in the Queen's private sitting room, rarely speaking, as they both seemed worried with something. Lunch was a quiet affair with only both women, but soon enough Mrs. Potter arrived, followed by a short woman and a young man, the three of them smiling happily.

“Good afternoon, Milady…” the three visitors said, making a small bow towards the Queen.

“Ah, here you are… Ginevra, this is Madame Malkin, my favorite seamstress and she'll make your wedding dress as well.” The Queen said with a big smile, all her worries forgotten for now.

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Madame Malkin. You've done a wonderful job with the Queen's clothes.” Ginevra told the short woman with an excited smile on her face. She had never had new dresses before she came to the Palace because she needed to wear white clothes at the time, but now, the possibility of wearing different colors on different models was so very exciting.

“Thank you, Milady. This is Mr. Terry Boot, one of my secrets for success, as he holds the power to use a wand.” The gentle woman explained and the sandy-haired young man smiled widely, showing white, even teeth.

“Shall we head for the fitting room?” the Queen said, standing up and led the way to the first floor, where Ginny had never been before.

The Fitting Room was a large room with white carpet on the floor and walls covered with dark green wallpaper, there were several ceiling-high mirrors, as well as a small round table for the person being fitted to stand on. A mahogany closet stood against one of the walls and some boxes were placed in a corner, apparently just for decoration.

“Miss Weasley, please step on the fitting table.” Madame Malkin ordered and proceeded to remove Ginevra's dress, leaving her wearing only her corset and inner skirt, which gave the volume to her dresses. Ginevra felt embarrassed to be nearly naked in front of a man, but said nothing. Apparently, the Queen, Mrs. Potter and Madame Malkin thought it was normal, so who was she to complain?

Soon, she lost all ability to think as the young man began to flick and swish his wand around her body, mumbling spells as he circled her. She was so mesmerized by the casting of spells and wand movements that she barely heard the delighted gasps coming from the Queen and Mrs. Potter, much later.

“Is there anything wrong?” Ginevra asked, looking at the huge smiles on the other women's faces.

“There is nothing wrong, dear child, they are only delighted with your visual…” Madame Malkin replied, walking around Ginny with a pleased smile on her face. “Take a look at the mirror, darling.”

Ginny did as she was told and turned around to face the huge mirrors, letting out a gasp of her own. She looked… gorgeous. The dress was made of wild silk, having a corrugated texture, the color was a dirty white and the corset was embroidered in silver, forming an intrinsic and beautiful pattern. The cleavage was square, held by a strap on each shoulder; the skirt was full with the same silver pattern on the hem. Turning around to face her back Ginny smiled widely when she saw the dress's long tail and the dozens of little silver buttons securing the dress down her back.

“It's fantastic!” Ginevra said excitedly, a tear spilling from her eyes as she wished her mother was there now, to see her daughter in a wedding gown.

“On your head you'll wear the crown linked to a long, long veil, handmade by me, of course.” Madame Malkin explained, fixing a few things on the dress's hem. “And the shoes… Terry.”

Mr. Boot mumbled a spell and a pair of shoes in the dress's same fabric appeared in front of Ginny. The set was complete.

“I'll take the dress back to the store with me to give the finishing touches by hand, and I'll bring it back on the night before the wedding.” Madame Malkin warned, taking the dress off of Ginevra's body. “The dress will be kept under utmost secrecy, guarded by two Royal Guards and by a few wards set by Terry. Don't worry, my darling, your marriage will be perfect now that you have the perfect dress…”

Ginevra could only smile as she wasn't so sure about the outcome of her marriage as Madame Malkin seemed to be. The three visitors left the Palace once more, leaving Ginevra and the Queen in the Fitting Room.

“You looked wonderful in that dress, Ginevra… You'll be a beautiful bride.” The Queen told her with a gentle smile, holding one of Ginevra's hands in a sign of confidence.

“Thank you Milady, I'm glad it pleases you to have me as your future daughter-in-law.” Ginevra replied, her cheeks burning with the amount of attention she was receiving.

“Yes, it pleases me very much… Come, it's dinner time.”

The time had flown by while the dress was conjured on her body and it was already dark outside. The delicious smell of food greeted Ginevra and the Queen just outside of the dinning room, causing small smiles to appear on their faces. The King was already sitting at the dinner table when both women joined him, but Prince Draco was absent.

Queen Narcissa seemed to notice Ginevra's worried glance towards the Prince's usual seat and took the opportunity to ask about her son to a maid.

“Prince Draco is at the stables… His mare has been giving birth since this morning.” The maid explained quickly before exiting the room.

Ginevra smiled excitedly at the thought of a small horse running around the palace's gardens, but the look of concern in the king's face made her become worried. There was something going on that she didn't know about.

“Don't worry, Lucius… He can do it.” The Queen said in a kind voice, placing a hand on top of his, and surprisingly, the King showed her a small worried smile, accepting her words and gesture of support.

“I hope so…”

The show of affection between the couple was something completely shocking for Ginevra. The few times she had seen the Queen and the King together in the same room had been terrible, full of yelling and attempts of violence. Maybe Queen Narcissa had learned to love her husband in all those years of marriage… Maybe he loved her as well…

Ginevra couldn't understand why the King was so worried about the birth of a new horse, and as soon as she was left alone with the Queen, she took the chance to ask what was going on.

“In the Royal families we have some initiation rites. At the age of fifteen, the Prince is given a newborn mare to feed, clean, raise, train, and so on. That mare becomes the window to the Prince's persona. If the mare is well trained, fed and cleaned, then the Prince is responsible, committed and capable of taking care of others than himself, mainly the kingdom. If the mare is thin or too fat, lacking train or cleanness, then the Prince is not the good choice to rule the Kingdom.” The Queen explained, looking out the dinning room's window towards the direction of the stables, where a small flicker of light indicated Prince Draco's presence. “The ultimate task is when the Prince helps his mare give birth, all alone and with no magic. If the colt is wealthy and resists the first few hours, the Prince will be chosen as the future king, but if the colt is born dead, doesn't born at all or dies within twelve hours, the Prince won't be elected king, and remain as a Prince for the rest of his life.”

“Well, that's an interesting way of choosing a King…” Ginny mumbled sarcastically, joining the Queen by the window. “I've seen Luar before and she's very healthy. It's easy to see he loves her very much by the way he rides her so proudly. I hope he's successful tonight…”

Queen Narcissa just nodded in agreement and kept on staring out the window. A few moments later, she retired but Ginny went to the living room to keep on reading a book she had come across earlier.

“Milady, can I bring you anything?” a maid asked from the room entrance, making Ginevra stop her intensive reading.

Who would have said that two witches and two wizards had founded Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, all those years ago? Her brothers had never told her that piece of information! So, women did have the power to perform magic? Well, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff had been powerful witches, for sure, if they were two of the school founders AND teachers. This matter needed further investigation, but it was getting late and she needed to rest. Ginevra slowly shut her new favorite book, Hogwarts: A History, First Edition and smiled to the maid.

“I'm fine, thank you… Can you give me some information, though?” Ginny asked gently and with the maid's nod, she carried on. “Has the Prince eaten anything in the last couple of hours?”

“At lunch one of us took him some food but he threw us out and told us to stay away.” The young maid explained, shyly, her hands buried in her white apron's pocket.

“Oh he did, did he?” Ginny mumbled, standing up from her seat and went to the kitchen, followed by the curious young girl. Ginny had wanted to apologize to him all day long and now was the time. Besides, he needed to eat in order to help the birth.

With the maid's help, Ginny placed some bread, sliced cheese and bacon, some fruit, ginger cookies and a small pitcher of milk inside of a basket, as well as two glasses. As soon as she had everything she needed, Ginny crossed the garden in quick strides, following the direction of the weak light coming from the stables.

The stables were a wooden building, with several compartments in which she could see the shadows of the horses, with their long necks peeking in the corridor, as if waiting for someone to pat their heads. Slowly, as to not disturb the animals, Ginevra walked towards the light, near the back of the building, and tried not to feel scared. She had never been among so many animals of this size and it really was dark, the only light coming from Luar's compartment was weak and it made the horses' eyes shine in a scary way.

At last, Ginevra entered the illuminated compartment and found Luar's body lying on top of large amounts of hay, the dark velvety fur contrasting with the cream colored straws. In a corner of the compartment, Prince Draco sat next to his mare's body, massaging her belly as if it would somehow help the colt born faster, his face concentrated and worried.

“Is she fairing well?” Ginevra asked in a soft whisper, scaring him to death as he turned around to face her, a startled look on his pale face. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you.”

“You didn't… I was just lost in thought.” The Prince replied, continuing his massages. “What are you doing here, so late at night?”

“I thought you might enjoy some food and company.” She explained, showing him the basket as she sat by his side on the floor, not bothering with her dress. “Are you hungry?”

Prince Draco didn't answer, just kept on studying her with a confused look in his eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” he asked, at last, his eyes still studying her face attentively.

“For several reasons, actually. I've never see a mare giving birth; I knew you haven't properly fed yourself today and you need your strength for this task; to be the first to know if you've failed or succeeded…” Ginevra explained as she prepared him bread with cheese and bacon in it, and handed it to him. Surprisingly he accepted it without further questioning or insults. “I came to say that I'm sorry for my behavior at breakfast. Although I had every right to say what I've said, I hurt you and I'm sorry for it…”

Prince Draco ate in silence, thinking about her words, his eyes never leaving his mare, that once in a while would move and whine.

“Do you think she's in too much pain?” she asked, touching the mare's neck gently, looking into Luar's big brown eyes, which looked back at Ginny with a great intensity, as if she could sense the concern the two humans were feeling over her.

“Yes, she is, but there's nothing I can do to stop it. Everything in this birth must be natural and not even pain relieving potions can be used… She has been like this all day, but soon the colt will be born.” The Prince replied, drinking the glass of milk that Ginevra handed him and then watched her as she dipped a ginger cookie in the milk and ate it slowly. The sight of her eating cookies and milk made him remember their first contact, in the Palace's kitchens. It seemed so long ago, but it had only been a few weeks… Not much had changed since then, they were still practically strangers and they still had to marry each other soon. Very soon.

“Don't worry, you'll be successful and Luar will have a gorgeous baby running around her in a few hours.” Ginny smiled sweetly, dipping another ginger cookie in her glass of milk and, surprising the Prince, she placed it on his lips, waiting for him to open his mouth and accept the food. Prince Draco's eyes glittered in amusement and he slowly opened his mouth, allowing her to feed him the cookie. Beside last night's kiss, this had been the most intimate gesture they had performed towards each other, and he found that he quite enjoyed it… It felt good to be pampered by a beautiful young woman with a strong personality. Sometimes, too strong for her own good, but still, better to have a strong one than no personality at all.

The Prince munched the cookie, his eyes still locked with Ginny's, neither feeling able to break the eye-lock, but soon Luar pushed hard, her neck lifting off the floor and her breath coming out in short gasps, making them break eye contact. This seemed to be what Draco had been waiting for all day as he raised quickly from the floor to kneel behind Luar, preparing for the birth.

Ginevra watched him with fascination. Prince Draco, the vain one, was wearing dirty, ragged clothes, looking like a man who worked on a farm, but she had to admit that he still looked good, even without his usual fine clothes. Knowing she couldn't help him, Ginny crawled to Luar's head and sat on her heels, pulling the mare's head to her lap, her full skirt serving as a pillow.

Every other minute Luar would contract her muscles and whine, slightly raising her head from Ginny's lap, who kept on caressing the mare.

“Go on, girl… You're doing a wonderful job and soon you'll have your baby out here, cuddling with you.” Ginevra whispered in Luar's ears, in a soothing voice that made Draco watch her curiously.

“You don't have to stay here during all this. There will be blood; the birth will be a little messy and disgusting, as well. Your dress is already dirty and you shouldn't be out of the Palace, this late at night…” the Prince said, staring at her with his piercing silver-gray orbs.

“I've killed more chickens than you can count, so I don't have problems with blood. We used to have a goat and I saw her give birth once, so there's no problem there, and I don't care about the dress or the rules. I may be forced to marry you, but I'm still a person who loves freedom, and that freedom you'll never take away from me…” Ginevra replied seriously, and then her face softened, becoming sad. “If you don't want me here, all you have to do is tell me to leave.”

She tried to get up, but both the mare's head and the weight of her dress made it hard for her. Her sadness became anger and frustration each time she failed her attempts and finally sighed, admitting defeat.

“Can you help me up, so that I can leave?” she groaned, looking at his amused grin.

“No… You'll stay right where you are. Not that I want you here, that's not it, it's just that Luar seems to be very comfortable and I don't want her to loose that feeling…” he replied, sounding very calm and honest, although he knew he had just said one big, if partial, lie. Yes, he wanted her there with him, but it was also truth that Luar was better with her head on Ginevra's lap.

Ginevra felt that the Prince was saying that as a cover up of some kind, but said nothing, just keeping on caressing the mare's neck. Silence fell on the compartment once again, but soon enough, Prince Draco gasped happily as the colt's paws showed up and then it slowly slid out of Luar in one slick movement. The Prince smiled widely, with no malice or mischief, just smiled with happiness as he removed the mucus from the small black colt's nose and mouth. The mare extended her neck and licked her baby, giving him all her love and protection.

“Well done, girl… You did it!” the Prince whispered, patting Luar's head. Only then did he looked up at Ginevra, expecting to find her on the verge of vomiting after such a messy birth, but she wasn't pale or disgusted… no, instead of it, her face was wet from her tears and a wide smile was on her full pink lips. The same lips he had devoured the previous night and then on his dreams, unable to forget the taste of her mouth, the scent of her skin or the feel of her body against his. “Are you feeling well?”

“Yes, I'm fine… I'm just feeling so happy after witnessing the beautiful event of a mother giving birth to her baby. You've done a good job in helping her, my Prince.” Ginevra replied, drying her tears with the hem of her dress. “Is it a boy or a girl?”

“We don't refer to horses as boy or girl, Ginevra… They're either a stallion or a mare.” The Prince corrected her as he examined the small colt that was now enjoying his mother's licks. “It's a stallion and a healthy one at that… Within two years he'll be a great help to enlarge our herd of horses.”

“Within two years… we'll have to have a baby.” Ginevra mumbled, remembering what was expected of her, and buried her face in her hands. “Oh Merlin!”

“What is it?” the Prince asked, kneeling in front of her and touching her shoulder, trying to find out what had caused the sadness in her eyes.

“Nothing… just catching up with the reality.” She replied, avoiding the subject of children for now, and then lowered her hands, looking at his face that was now so much closer to her own. “Do you love her?”

The Prince's eyes widened with shock at her blunt question, but his face remained calm and with a slight frown. It was obvious whom she was referring to, but he didn't understand why she was asking such a thing. Usually women didn't mention their husband's affairs.

“The colt is born… You can retire, now.” Prince Draco said in a cold voice, reaching for a bucket full of water and started to wash his hands and forearms.

“You do…” Ginevra concluded after his avoidance of the question. “I just wanted to say that, you're still on time to marry her and be happy.”

Ginevra was surprised to feel her heart clench and a shiver race down her body. She hadn't wanted this arrangement from the beginning, but in the last weeks she had come to learn to accept her future next to the gorgeous man that was now scrubbing his nails clean from the dried blood of the birth. Somewhere along their fights she had come to admire his beauty and presence, although his behavior sometimes made her want to smack him on the head… still, she had come to like the prat and having to leave the Palace behind, as well as the Queen, Mrs. Potter, Parvati, Prince Draco, Luar and her colt, would make her suffer very much, indeed.

Smiling sadly, Ginevra patted both horses' heads and then, leaning on the wall behind her, she raised to her feet successfully, but as soon as she gave a step to leave the compartment, the hem of her dress got caught on a nail's head and Ginny almost fell back, but two strong arms enveloped her waist, keeping her standing on her feet.

Gasping in shock at the sudden movement, Ginevra brought her arms around the Prince's neck and held tight, not out of fear of falling… just out of instinct. With her face buried on his neck, Ginevra could smell his male sweat mixed with the smell of blood and even a trace of his usual cologne… Anyone would have said it was filthy and gross, but to her it was heaven as it proclaimed him as a man, just like any other, in spite of his royal title or fortune. Ginevra raised her head and nudged his throat, gently kissing his Adam's Apple and then right bellow his ear, making him groan.

The sound made her realize her actions and afraid that she had hurt him somehow, Ginevra let go of the Prince and with a yank ripped the dress free of the nail. Not feeling brave enough to confront him now, after her improper behavior, Ginevra ran out of the stables, towards the Palace.

`I shouldn't have done that… Why did I do that? I don't even like him! Right…? Oh, I just don't know anymore…' Ginevra thought nervously as she walked towards her bedroom, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. She had a long sleepless night ahead of her, as she was sure her brain wouldn't stop reliving those moments she had just experienced.

End of Chapter Six

Please, read the following Author Notes:

Hello, everyone, once again I have to apologize for taking so long to update, and I want to make something clear: THIS CHAPTER IS NOT BETA-ED YET! As soon as I get it beta-ed I'll post it on top of this once, all right?

I have a few things to say, so read if you're interested:

1. I had a huge accident last week that injured my hands, legs and face. My face is better now, my knees still hurt a bit when I walk and for a week all I could do with my hand was move my fingers. My mother had to give me bath, put me to bed, cut my meat and give it to my mouth… It has been awful!

1. I'm drowning in schoolwork. I had one month of research on Sign Language but there was a problem, I had to give up on it and start all over again with another theme. Then, I have two group works flowing slowly, too slowly, in fact. And, still another work, a individual one, which has me pulling my hairs off my head.

1. The new chapters are getting harder to write now that I've changed the plot of the story. Somehow I get a hard time making Draco and Ginny taking things slowly, but I'm sure I can do it.

1. PLEASE, BE PATIENT WITH MY CHAPTERS, THEY WILL BE COMING, BUT SLOWLY.

1. DON'T EVER FORGET, I'VE FINISHED ALL MY STORIES SO FAR!!!

1. Good thing that has happened in the last few weeks? My parents gave me a laptop??? (Portable computer? I don't know how you say it)

1. Enjoy the chapter…

Love, Carina

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7. Love is Everything

Chapter 7 - Love is everything

The next morning Ginevra went to breakfast with tired eyes and slight apprehension in her movements. After her behaviour the previous night and the shared kiss the night previous that one had made it impossible for her to sleep. Her mind kept on remembering both situations and usually slight shivers down her spine accompanied those memories, although she had no idea why… Probably it would be best to have a small conversation with Mrs. Potter.

Both the King and the Queen were already having breakfast when Ginevra arrived at the dining room, but the Prince was nowhere in sight, much to both her concern and relief. Was the small colt healthy? Was Luar faring well after giving birth? Was the Prince feeling well after spending the night out there in the cold? Unconsciously her thoughts drifted back to the Prince, but she forced those thoughts away from her mind and sat down for breakfast.

Queen Narcissa and King Lucius were eating in silence, much like the previous day, but this time there were small smiles on their faces… They were relieved for Prince Draco's success, for sure, and maybe for some success of their own? Best not think about it…

“Ginevra, dear, have you heard? The colt is born and it's healthy… Draco is so happy. I haven't seen him smiling that much since we gave him his first broom.” The queen announced proudly, making Ginevra smile as well, happy to see her Queen so relaxed and joyous in the presence of her husband.

“Yes, milady, I already knew… It's wonderful to know that Prince Draco succeeded. He'll be a wonderful king when the time is right.” Ginevra replied, pouring some tea on her cup. “My Queen, is Mrs. Potter coming today?”

“Yes, I believe she'll visit us today… Why? Do you need anything? You know you can count on me.” The Queen said gently, studying the worried face of the young woman in front of her.

“I just wanted to talk with her, that's all.” Ginevra explained, not wanting to have that particular conversation with her future mother-in-law, it would be too embarrassing. How would Mrs. Potter act to her questions? Thinking about her speech for the conversation, Ginevra kept on eating her breakfast, not noticing the people sitting at the same table as she.

Usually the meals at the Weasley's household were so noisy that no one got enough silence to think, but here at the Palace everything was too quiet. The maids would work in utter silence, never speaking between them, never making a noise with the objects they cleaned, and never saying a word to their masters unless they were ordered to. Once again, Ginevra established a comparison between her true home and this Palace and once again, her home won the comparison.

Yes, the Palace was very beautiful, richly built and decorated, with extraordinary gardens and luxury in all of its walls… But her home was so different. The Weasleys were not rich, but they were hard working and had a strong sense of family. They were always there to help one of theirs, or even when it wasn't one of theirs in need of support. The food wasn't abundant on their table, but Molly Weasley had a big talent to cook any tiny piece of food and transform it into a true King's meal. How she missed her mother's cooking, her yelling whenever the twins pulled a prank on her, the way she always smiled after punishing them and kissed each of them before bed. And her father, Arthur Weasley, it was impossible not to miss him. As the only girl between six boys, Ginevra had always been her father's little girl. They usually spent hours talking about her interests, the things he had seen that day at work, the new horses of the Royal Guard… Everything was a suitable theme for them to talk about, but what she loved and missed the most was when she would sit on his lap after dinner, give him a big noisy kiss on his ear and have him complain that one day she would make him go deaf. Still, they both loved that routine of theirs and now that they were away from each other, with no contact at all, Ginevra wondered how her parents were faring without her.

“Ginevra, are you all right, my dear?” Queen Narcissa asked, placing a comforting hand on top of Ginny's, waking her from her thoughts.

“Yes, I am, why do you ask, Milady?” Ginevra asked in a trembling voice.

“You are crying, my dear…”

Only then did Ginevra feel the tears running down her face, clouding her eyes and making her cheeks burn. She was, indeed, crying, but she had a good reason for it… She missed her family.

“Ginevra, what's wrong? Please, don't hesitate in being honest with me…” the Queen said gently, trying to get the young woman to open up. The Queen knew that Ginevra was suffering for being away from home, away from her family. She also knew how hard it was to be engaged to a Prince against her will, knowing what would be expected from the marriage… Ginevra was a force of nature and she didn't deserve to be trapped, but Queen Narcissa had come to love that girl as a daughter, and now, more than ever, wanted her son to be happy with the young woman. The Queen was sure that they could, indeed, be happy, if only they would lower their defences and get to know each other better.

“I'm just feeling home-sick, Milady… When will I see my family? Can I visit them?” Ginevra asked with hope etched on her face. So much hope and excitement that the Queen felt like complying, but she couldn't. The Royalty Laws didn't allow the bride to see her family between the engagement and the wedding, so a visit to town was out of question.

“I'm sorry my darling, but it's not possible for you to visit them. You shall see them at your wedding in a few days, and from that moment on you'll be free to visit the town and your parents, don't worry…” Queen Narcissa explained, seeing the girl's face fall into a frown.

“I have no choice, do I?” Ginevra mumbled sadly, finishing her tea and realising that the King wasn't in the dinning room and hadn't been for a long time. `Good, I wouldn't want him to hear these conversations…'

The Queen and Ginevra spent the morning talking about the flowers that would be used on the wedding, as well as the menu for the social lunch. Once again, Prince Draco didn't show up for the meal, making Ginevra become a little more worried about him. Was he trying to avoid her? Was he thinking about her proposition for him to marry Miss Parkinson? Somehow, both options made her feel sad and made her heart ache just a little. Thankfully, Mrs. Potter arrived right after lunch, and Ginevra received the Queen's permission to spend the afternoon with the other woman.

“You look worried, Ginevra… What's wrong?” Mrs. Potter asked concerned, while they strolled around the garden.

“The Prince and I keep fighting all the time, but when we don't fight, things get a little too intense… I just don't know how to act, how to react or how to feel.” Ginevra sighed in despair. She really was feeling confused with all of those mixed-up emotions, and needed someone a little more experienced, like Mrs. Potter, to give her a new perspective.

“I feel like there's something you aren't telling me… You know you can trust me, Ginevra, so don't hesitate to do so.” Mrs. Potter insisted gently, sitting on a stone bench, under a big old tree.

Ginevra sat down next to Mrs. Potter and sighed, recalling the speech she had practised all-night and even at breakfast.

“The night of the ball, that Parkinson girl and Mr. Zabini were the last guests to leave… Miss Parkinson said that it had been a pleasure to meet me and I replied by saying that the only thing she had met that night had been my fiancÃ©e's endowments… After that comment I left towards my bedroom and just as Parvati was finishing taking off my dress, Prince Draco showed up in my room, without bothering to knock first, and demanded that I apologised to that… that woman. I ordered Parvati out and we started fighting. Without even realizing how, the Prince pinned me against a wall, started rubbing his body against mine and then we kissed, hard.” Ginevra explained, receiving shocked gasps from Mrs. Potter. “Yesterday at breakfast I made a very rude, although true, comment and as a consequence, I hurt the Prince's feelings. Last night I went to the stables to apologize and to bring him some food… He did not accept nor refuse my apologies, but he allowed me to assist to the birth. I even told him he was still on time to break our engagement and marry Miss Parkinson, but he didn't reply… As I prepared to leave I tripped but he secured me in his arms and I just started to kiss his neck and earlobe. I don't know what made me do that, I truly feel ashamed for behaving like that, but I just couldn't help it. It happened before I realized it…”

“I can see there have been a lot of things happening, as of lately.” Mrs. Potter replied, deeply in thought as she studied a near-by fountain, the soothing sound of the waterfall helping her think. “From what I've heard I drew some conclusions… Ginevra, my dear, I believe you're beginning to fall for your fiancÃ©e. I can see that you're afraid to hurt him and feel the need to ask for forgiveness, even if you were correct on your comments, that means that you care for him, deeply so. You also offered him a chance to be happy with the woman he seems to prefer, which means you desire him to be truly happy, even if not with you. No one else, but a woman in love, would be so unselfish to the point of giving up something she could have for herself. About that kiss in your bedroom… Tell me how you felt about it, at the moment and after it, as well.”

“It was such an explosive contact… I had never been kissed before, although I've seen my brothers doing it more than once, as well as my parents, but never had I expected it to be so intense, so powerful, so frightening.” Ginevra blushed scarlet, remembering that night. “His mouth just kept on teasing mine to open up under his and then, his tongue touched mine like a soft caress. I don't know if it's supposed to be like that…”

“Yes, it is…” Mrs. Potter replied quickly, a knowing look on her face.

“When he started to rub his thighs against mine I almost lost the ability to stand on my feet. There was a hard pressure against my lower stomach, but I have no idea what it was…” Ginevra trailed off, curiosity all over her face, making her soft brown eyes glitter.

“That… uh… Ginevra, what do you know about the masculine sexual organ?” Mrs. Potter asked with a blush of her own.

“Oh, that… I've seen my brothers naked, lots of times, when I took the hot water from the kitchen to the bathroom. They have a… I believe George calls it his broomstick, while we don't…” she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

“Oh sweet innocent girl… Your brother is a prat and you shouldn't trust anything that comes from his mouth. I'll try to explain everything to you.” Mrs. Potter replied with a small embarrassed smile. “Ginevra, men have a penis and women have a vagina… When a man and a woman like each other, they get aroused, they feel very strongly about the other. The man's sexual organ grows and fits into the woman's vagina, until his seed explodes inside of the woman. This is what happens to make women get pregnant… But making love should only happen between a married couple, not as a way of release, like many men do, and some women as well. That's just sex…”

Ginevra's face was shocked and surprised. Never had she heard that part of the story from her brother's mouths… Those idiots were useless as informants.

“So, that's what I felt against my lower belly, that night? His…?” she asked slowly.

“Yes, his aroused member. He desired you that night, Ginevra, which is probably a good thing. It might mean he's interested in you, may even feel something for you...” Mrs. Potter explained, her cheeks going back to their natural colour, instead of deep red. “I believe you feel aroused by him, as well, because you liked his kiss and you kissed him, as well. I'm sure the two of you will be a passionate couple…”

“Perhaps. For now, I need to know if he wants to end our engagement and marry Miss Parkinson.”

“You can ask him about it now…” Mrs. Potter smiled amusedly, pointing towards the approaching black mare being followed by her small colt and the Prince.

“He's so cute, isn't he?” Ginevra commented with a proud smile on her lips, as she watched the small group.

“The colt or the Prince?” Mrs.Potter teased, studying her friend's reaction.

“Well, to say the truth, both…” Ginevra replied and then turned her attention to Prince Draco who came to greet both ladies.

“Good morning, Mrs. Potter, Ginevra…” he bowed slightly and kept a scowl on his face.

“Good morning, my Prince. Congratulations on the colt, he's beautiful.” Mrs. Potter said in a gentle voice, admiring how the small black colt trotted around his mother, rubbing his neck on hers in a clear show of affection.

“Thank you…” The Prince replied, placing his hands inside his black trousers' pockets. That posture was one Ginevra was used to observe on her brothers and usually it meant nervousness, but what was the meaning of the gesture in the Prince? The same? If so, why was he nervous?

Mrs. Potter observed the way the Prince couldn't take his eyes off Ginevra, and decided it would be better to give them some privacy. Quietly she walked down the garden, admiring the rose bushes, but remained in sight, to watch over them.

The couple remained quiet. Ginevra didn't know what to say and the Prince didn't know how to start on what he wanted to say, but soon enough she took the courage and spoke first.

“He's gorgeous… Have you named him, yet?” she asked with a bright smile, while she watched the colt running around his mother.

“No.” was the clipped answer.

“Have you thought about it?” she insisted, if only for the sake of maintaining a conversation. After all, he had had plenty of time to think of names for the small creature. Why was he behaving like he didn't care?

Her answer came in the form of a shrug of shoulders. That action, so full of despise for her inquiry, made Ginevra become frustrated and extremely angry.

“Fine, you want to be a cold git? Go ahead and see if I care… I've got six older brothers, Prince Draco, I know how to deal with prats like you, but I bear with them because I love them… You, I don't have to bear your awful moods. Have a nice day, Your Highness.” She spat angrily, turning around to leave, but a strong hand curled around her shoulder, making her stop and turn to face the Prince, once again. Not even the sight of his softened pale features made Ginny stop scowling, her quick breathing making her chest rise and fall rapidly. “What now?”

“I don't love her.” Prince Draco said in a clear, strong voice, dropping his hand from Ginevra's shoulder. “I have never loved her, probably never will.”

Ginevra's face remained expressionless, although, inside, her stomach was churning nervously. Somehow she felt relieved that the Prince didn't love Miss Parkinson and wouldn't call off their wedding, but she didn't want to analyse the matter much further, afraid of what laid beneath her reactions to Prince Draco. Afraid that Mrs. Potter was correct, and she was truly falling in love with him.

Not knowing what to reply to him, Ginevra remained silent, looking him in the eye: brown on silver, until he finally kept on talking.

“I'm not interested on marrying Pansy. That would be a plain suicide, for anyone. The girl is too clingy, too superficial, too… annoying.” He complained with a grimace, running a hand through his shiny blond hair, making it stand on end, giving him a boyish look. “My mother chose you; I've accepted her choice and I'll marry you in a matter of days…”

“You sound so resigned…” Ginevra replied sadly, sitting on the grass, under the big old tree, that provided enough shelter from the hot sun. She understood him perfectly; after all, she also had resigned herself to marry him, giving up on her beloved freedom and dreams for the future.

The Prince sat down on the grass, next to Ginevra, but they both remained in a pleasant silence, of two persons who understood completely what was expected of them. The only sounds surrounding them were those of the waterfall near by and the sounds of Luar's hooves trotting around the garden with her baby. The summer was starting to turn into autumn, the days getting smaller and cooler, but still, the sun still shone, warming their skins pleasantly. It felt so good to sit there, in silence with the sun bathing her face that Ginevra ended up falling asleep, her back against the old tree trunk and her head leaning on the Prince's shoulder.

When Ginevra's head fell on his shoulder, Prince Draco was surprised, but made no move to break the contact. Soon, he felt more than heard Ginevra's deep breaths as she fell in a light sleep. Carefully turning his neck around, trying not to wake her up, the Prince studied her face, looking so peaceful in her sleep, her dark red eyelashes forming half-moon shapes against her flushed cheeks, her full lips slightly open and moist, inviting for a kiss he dared not give her, the scent of her skin invading his senses, allowing him to categorize that smell as hers, and no one else's. A soft gush of wind circled the couple, causing a few tendrils of fiery red hair to get loose from her sophisticated hair-do. After having seen her with her hair down on a number of times, he had come to prefer it that way, soft, flying around her, framing her young face, covering his hands and harms as he made love to her…

`Whoa! Watch your thoughts, mate…' he scolded himself; shocked with the course his thoughts were taking. Prince Draco slowly raised a hand to her face and gently placed the lock of hair back behind her ear, feeling relieved when Ginevra simply smiled and buried deeper on his side, her face nestling against his neck, her breathing raising the small hairs on his nape.

“Have you bored her that much, uh?” Mrs. Potter said playfully as she approached the couple sitting under the tree, with a big, pleased smile on her lips.

Prince Draco stared at her coldly, a sneer on his face directed at the meddlesome young woman.

“No need to distort your lovely face, Draco, I was just joking. She has been very worried, lately, and she hasn't been sleeping well… I believe she found you trustworthy enough to protect her while she dozed off.” Mrs. Potter commented, both saying the truth and trying to make Prince Draco warm up to the young woman in his arms. Apparently, her words were successful because the Prince's face became neutral, no sneer distorting his face, as his eyes showed confusion and… longing, maybe? Too hard to tell by his eyes, solely. “Make sure you treat her right, Draco, she's a wonderful person. Ginevra might have a big knowledge on several things, including magic, but still, she's very naÃ¯ve about many other things. Take the time to get to know her and you'll see how easy it is to love her… I already do.”

“Stay out of my personal matters and worry about your own life, Mrs. Potter.” He spat, standing up abruptly, making Ginevra's body fall heavily on the floor, for she had been leaning against him. A loud crack announced that her head had just hit the large tree root jutting from the ground.

“OW, bloody hell!” Ginevra screamed in pain, surprising both the Prince and Mrs. Potter. “Damn!”

“Ginevra, watch your language!” Mrs. Potter reprimanded, trying hard to hide the laughter bubbling on her chest. “That vocabulary is awful on a lady's mouth.”

“Well, why don't you try to speak like a lady after cracking your head open?” Ginevra replied sarcastically, grasping her head with both hands. “Bloody git, you could have warned me you were getting up!”

“Trust no one, Ginevra, that's lesson number one…” Prince Draco sneered, turning around and leaving both women alone, allowing a huge amused smile to appear on his face, now that they couldn't see his face. That young woman was full of surprises and the owner of a fiery spirit… That pleased him.

“Are you alright?” Mrs. Potter asked gently, helping the other girl up on her feet. Ginevra swayed a little but soon she felt well enough to speak and walk at the same time.

“I'm fine, except for the pain in my head… Let's go inside, I've had enough of Mr. Complex Prince Draco for one day. He confuses me so much, Hermione. One moment he's being pleasant and the other he's being the evil sneering git…” Ginevra complained, slowly walking back to the Palace's side entrance. As they were arriving to the double doors, someone called Ginevra.

“Ginny!” a familiar male voice called. Ginevra stopped immediately and turned around only to find a tall, bald man, around his fifty years, running on her direction with a big smile on his face, and his blue eyes shimmering with happy tears.

“Daddy!” Ginevra screamed happily and gathering her skirt in her hands, she ran as fast as she could to her father's open arms, burying her face on his Royal Guard's robes. “I can't believe you're here! Oh, I've missed you so much…”

“We miss you too, honey… It's hard to live without my little girl around. How are you?” he smiled warmly, lovingly kissing her nose and holding her tight in his arms.

“I'm well… It's hard to live with people I know nothing about, but Mrs. Potter and Queen Narcissa have become my good friends. I only wish I could visit you, though…” Ginevra said, trying to stop the tears from falling, although she wasn't succeeding. “How are you? And mother?”

“We are alright, but your mother misses you terribly. Thankfully she has the company of the maid the Queen hired to help us at home. It was a very nice gesture from her… Send her our appreciation.” He explained happily, looking down into his daughter's warm eyes. “I traded my work location for the whole week in hope that I would catch a glimpse of you… I guess I was lucky.”

“Thank you for doing that, daddy… You've just given me enough strength to carry on for a few more days until the wedding.” Ginevra sighed softly, burying her face on his neck, smelling his familiar scent… The same scent she remembered from her childhood, of when she sat on his lap, in front of the lit fireplace, listening to his deep voice narrating wonderful stories of brave princes and beautiful princesses. Being close to him, after a period of separation, gave her strength, comfort and the bravery to marry Prince Draco, because as soon as she was married, she could visit her family whenever she wanted and she could provide them with a slightly better life. “I love you, dad… Tell Mom I miss her, as well as the boys.”

“We love you too, and you'll see us all at your wedding, in a few days.” He smiled and hugged her tightly once more. “By the way, you look wonderful in those clothes. I always told you you were a princess, didn't I? My little princess…”

Ginevra chuckled and kissed his warm cheek before stepping back from his embrace, already missing his familiar touch and gentleness.

“We'll see you soon, my little lioness…” he whispered and slowly went back to his rounds on the Palace's gardens, once in a while looking back at her with sad blue eyes.

“So much love…” Mrs. Potter whispered next to Ginevra, surprising her. “I can only imagine how much love exists in your family, when you're all together…”

“Oh, we show our love in the strangest ways, Hermione… My mother yells and fusses over us, my father grins and tells jokes, allowing us to get away with most of our pranks, my brothers like to treat me as if I were some kind of new-born baby and I just like hugging them to near death… Sometimes I prank my brothers, but I always get away with it, I just need to put on my innocent face and they melt in a puddle at my feet.” Ginevra chuckled, although there were tears in her eyes.

“Let's go back inside; I'm sure you're emotionally drained right now.” Mrs. Potter advised, guiding Ginevra back to the Palace's entrance.

Close by, Prince Draco assisted to the emotional encounter with sad eyes, eyes that expressed a deep longing for a family that loved him that much. Ginevra was lucky, and if they ended up having a child, he hoped she was able to give that much love to the small baby. Perhaps the child wouldn't become as cold hearted and unhappy as his or her father.

*****

My dearest readers:

1 - THANK YOU SO MUCH for your reviews, they are wonderful and make me want to keep on writing. I've considered dropping this story a lot of times lately, but I promise I wont.

2- That part about the colt's birth and the Prince being selected to be the King, well, that was all my invention, I don't know if such thing happened back on those days.

3 - I'm sorry for the mistakes about “paws” instead of “hooves” and “bolt” instead of “colt”, I know nothing about horses!

4 - The wedding is on the next chapter!!! Here's the invitation card, don't miss it!

5 - This chapter isn't BETA-ed, yet. My BETA hasn't yet returned last chapter and I'm worried about her, but as soon as she does, I'll post the revised chapter, alright?

6 - This afternoon I've finished 2 out of 5 school works. I've been so stressed these last week that I don't know how I haven't had a break down, yet.

7 - My birthday is next SATURDAY, December 11 th, and I'll be turning 21 y-old. Isn't it a beautiful age?!

8 - LOVE YA ALL!

Carina

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8. Bonding

Chapter 8 - Bonding

If there was such powerful magic, Ginevra would have said someone had charmed the weather to be perfect, that day… The sky was bright blue, no clouds in sight, the sun was shining although not too hot, just the right temperature. A great amount of sunlight washed her bedroom, from the open double doors that led to the balcony, and that's where Ginevra was, at the moment, having just been dressed by Parvati.

Today was the beginning of the unknown…

Dozens of black carriages richly decorated with golden coats of arms, from the different families, crossed the garden's perfect lawns and beds of flowers, heading to the ceremonial site: the centre of circle made of stones, a similar site of Stonehenge. Each Kingdom was defined by its ritual site, and Birmingham had one of the most powerful ones. That's where she would be sworn to Prince Draco, having the blessing of the Gods and hundreds of guests would be assisting under huge tents, protecting their fair skins from the sun.

`Fools… We have so little sun around here and they don't even enjoy it.' Ginevra chuckled internally, watching another carriage pass by majestically.

The last few days had been hectic with preparations for the wedding, trying on the wedding dress to make sure it fit perfectly, practising different hair-dos, receiving last-minute social-etiquette classes from Mrs. Potter… And on top of all that, she had been unable to sleep on the last days, ever since that afternoon she spent, under the tree, with Prince Draco. She hadn't seen him since that day and was beginning to worry about the amount of times she caught herself wondering how he was, where he was and with whom he was. He was probably the reason why she couldn't sleep, on top of the fast approaching wedding and her wife-duties.

A small breeze hit her face, making Ginevra smile and sigh softly. The fairy tale was coming true, although not like she had imagined. Yes, the weather, the dress, the white carriage, the beautiful Prince, they were all correct, but the feelings behind the whole wedding were wrong… Who knew if this story would end up with `And they lived happily ever after'.

“Perfect!” a familiar gentle voice whispered behind Ginevra. “My darling, you look wonderful… I brought your bouquet of flowers; they have just arrived from the flower shop. But, why are you not smiling?”

“My Queen, forgive me for my lack of enthusiasm. These last few weeks have been really hard for me with sudden changes in my life, and today is just so… important for everyone but I feel insecure. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?” Ginevra explained gently, turning around to face the beautiful blond woman, wearing a light-grey gown with an emeralds necklace, matching earrings and her Royalty's Crown.

“I understand… A few decades ago I went through the same thing, Ginevra, exactly the same thing… I was like you: fiery temper, full of dreams, loving family; and one day, Lucius' mother, the former Queen, chose me to marry him. I believe that's one of the reasons why I chose you, my darling. I wanted to see you succeed where I have failed; I wanted to see you change my son, being happy with him, loving each other, ruling the Kingdom together. Everything I failed to do with my husband…” Queen Narcissa explained, a few tears slipping from her silver-grey eyes; the same eyes that Ginevra had seen so many times in Prince Draco's face. “Are you willing to try?”

Ginevra remained in silence, analysing the information that the Queen had just given to her… No, she didn't want to have a marriage with the Prince like the Queen had with her husband; yes, she wanted to help the Prince to rule the Kingdom… Merlin! She even wanted to create a few laws of her own! But to do so, she would have to build a strong marriage. That was the message the Queen was trying to pass, for sure.

“Yes, I am… Mother.” Ginevra replied with a big smile, and then she embraced the Queen, placing her mouth next to her ear. “I will live what you should have lived, I will change him although he's not as bad as I believed he was, I will be happy… Just you wait and see!”

“That's all I ever wanted.” The Queen smiled, another tear falling down her cheeks. “Now, enough of this crying… I'm going to the circle, and in a few moments Parvati will come here and take you to your carriage, so, I'll see you there. Good luck.”

With another short hug, the Queen exited the bedroom, leaving Ginevra all alone once again, organizing her thoughts and gaining the courage to go on with her new life. She had someone's happiness in her hands…

Taking a few steps, she placed herself in front of the tall mirror and studied herself.

There she was, red hair caught up at the back of her head in a French twist, a few curled tendrils framing her face. On top of her head was a platinum tiara, with small diamonds and emeralds decorating the elaborate design. The dress was beautiful: the silver embroidering had been perfectly done, the dress' corset was tight and fitted her perfectly, and the skirt was large and puffy, extending on a long train behind her.

“You look wonderful, Ginny… Try to feel like it as well.” She told herself, allowing a smile to appear on her face.

“Milady, it's time for the ceremony…” Parvati warned happily from behind her, her reflex showing up in the mirror over Ginevra's shoulder. “I brought someone to see you.”

As she announced the visitor, a familiar man appeared reflected in the mirror as well.

“Daddy! I'm so glad you're here.” Ginevra smiled, turning around to face her father. “So, how do I look?”

“You'll always look good, to me, Ginny, whether you're wearing rags or an elaborate gown… You look like the Princess you are, the Princess I always said you were.” Arthur Weasley replied with a big smile. “Merlin, it's hard to believe that my little baby is getting married!”

“Yes, I find it hard to believe, myself.” Ginevra chuckled. “Are you taking me to the circle?”

“Yes, it will be an honour to do so… I love you, and you'll always be my little lioness.” He said tenderly.

“Thank you, father, your support was all I needed right now…” She sighed, carefully wiping the tears from her eyes. “I believe it's time to go.”

Silently, Arthur Weasley held his daughter's hand and placed it on his forearm. Ginevra picked up the bouquet the Queen had left on top of her bed and together they exited her bedroom and followed Parvati down the richly decorated corridors until they reached the double doors in front of which a white carriage awaited to transport them to the ceremony site.

As soon as Ginevra and her father stepped outside of the Palace's doors, there was loud screaming. Worried, they both looked around, trying to understand what was going on, until their eyes finally settled on a large crowd, standing just outside of the Palace's gates, waving their hands and screaming Ginevra's name.

“Why are they screaming my name?” Ginevra mumbled, feeling very confused.

“The wedding was announced in the whole kingdom. Everyone knows you come from a low-class family, and they hope you'll bring the changes our kingdom needs so much… They think you'll make the Prince realise those needs and make him act on them.” Her father explained gently. “You've just become their favourite person, Ginny.”

Just what she needed… More people whose happiness depended on her.

“I'll do what I can, but I cannot make promises, as I don't know how much power I'll have in my hands…” she replied and then turned around to face the crowd, waving her hand just like Mrs. Potter had taught her to do. After the greeting, Ginevra entered the carriage followed by her father and Parvati, and in a few moments they were crossing the well-kept gardens, heading to the ceremony site where the guests were already seating under the huge white tents surrounding the ancient circle of stones.

As the carriage came to a halt, Ginevra studied the crowd. The women were very well dressed with rich fabrics and wearing expensive jewellery to show how powerful they were. The men were wearing their formal robes, showing off their medals and titles… That's what the high-society was all about: showing off.

Very near to the circle was her family, their red-heads shining under the bright sun. Her mother was looking gorgeous, wearing an expensive looking dark blue gown, her hair was caught in a bun and she had a beautiful smile on her gentle face. Around her were Ginevra's six brothers, as well as their wives, and a few children. They were all looking very good and she was happy to have them there, supporting her on this big day.

As soon as the carriage's door was opened, Parvati and Mr. Weasley exited. The latter held up a hand to help his daughter out and the maid helped Ginevra with the dress, trying to smooth it with her hands.

There was a stone path leading to the sacred circle of stones decorated with huge floating baskets of ivy and white roses, similar to her bouquet, the tents had cooling charms placed on them to keep the guests comfortable and there were dozens of servants handing drinks and appetizers.

When Ginevra and her father started their walk through the stone path, the guests turned around to study the bride and her father, surely trying to find faults on her or on her dress.

“Ignore them, Ginny… you are perfect to me.” a kind voice whispered on her ear. Trust Arthur Weasley to say the right thing on the right moment…

Smiling widely, Ginevra continued her way slowly, trying hard to hide the nervousness that filled her soul at the moment. Inside of the circle stood Prince Draco looking handsome in his formal black robe, a few medals hanging on his chest and his hair was slightly tousled by the gentle breeze. Next to him was an old looking man with a gentle smile and twinkling blue eyes, a huge white beard falling down his stomach. Lost in her thoughts, Ginevra never realised they had already arrived to the entrance of the circle, between two tall carved sacred stones. Only when her father tugged on her hand did she avert her eyes from her husband-to-be. Around her were her six brothers and her father, all smiling sweetly at her.

“What's wrong? Are you going to take me away from here?” she whispered teasingly, placing a hand on Ron's cheek, trying to wipe away the tears falling down his cheek.

“We are all giving you away, Ginny… It's awful to see our little Gin-bug getting married.” George, one of the twins, said with a goofy smile. “Well, at least you'll be practising our old pranks on your new family, uh?”

”Perhaps, George. I'll let you know if I do.” She winked at him and slowly looked around her, facing each of them with a gentle smile. “I love you all, and I want you to know that although I'm marrying into this family, I'll still be here for all of you… Always.”

The answer she got was that of seven wands uniting their tips over her head and a spell mumbled in unison by seven familiar deep voices. The spell was the sign of the family's willingness to give their daughter over to her new family, it meant trust and friendship, but it also gave a certain level of protection to the bride.

As soon as the white glow that surrounded her faded away, Ginevra's father and brothers stepped back and with a slight bow gave her permission to enter the sacred circle.

Swallowing back a sob and holding the tears in her eyes with great difficulty, Ginevra turned her back on her family and faced the Prince, slowly entering the circle, walking to him, her eyes never leaving his. As soon as she stood in front of him and in front of the old man, at the centre of the circle, Ginevra made a small curtsey and carefully placed her bouquet on the floor as an offer to the gods. The ceremony was about to start.

“My friends, we are here reunited today for the gathering of two young souls: Draco and Ginevra. To them I ask: Are you here of your own will?” the old man asked, looking at the young couple in front of him.

“Yes, we are.” They both answered, their eyes still not breaking their intense gaze lock.

Two white roses magically floated from the bouquet on the floor to hover over the couple. The Gods had accepted the answer as truthful. And indeed it was truth. Ginevra was willing to marry because she knew how must trust several people were placing on her new title, and Prince Draco was willing to marry because he needed a wife to be King.

“The Gods are listening. Ginevra, do you promise to be true to your husband, to make him happy and to help him rule this Kingdom?” the old man asked gently, looking at her over his half-moon shaped spectacles.

Breaking their gaze lock, Ginevra studied the Prince's relaxed face, his mouth slightly smiling, and took a deep breath. Yes, she wanted to make him happy and yes, she wanted to help him improve the Kingdom's situation. No need to consider other men, she didn't need a lover.

“Yes.” She answered truthfully and two white roses popped out of the bouquet to join the previous two over their heads.

“Draco, do you promise to be true to your wife, to make her happy and to accept her help ruling this Kingdom?” the old man repeated, this time facing the Prince.

Prince Draco just stared at Ginevra, his eyes glazed over in thought. After a few minutes, the guests started to comment on his hesitation and Ginevra began to get even more nervous. He was going to refuse to marry her and she would be free to go back to her family, making the whole kingdom and the Queen feel sad and unhappy.

“Yes.” His low whisper brought her out of her thoughts and she stared at him, biting her lip to make it stop trembling.

This time the two roses took longer to pop out of the bouquet, and shook slightly as they slowly ascended to join the other ones, over their heads.

“Very well, join your hands…” the old man ordered, waving his wand around the joined hands and soon, a white glow surrounded their wrists. “If one or both of you wish to stop this ceremony before it's completed, you should speak now.”

This time, they both shook their heads at the same time… no hesitations. The last rose popped out of the bouquet and joined the others. The seven roses exploded in a shimmering silver dust and fell on top of the now bonded couple.

“The Gods have accepted your bond. Hold true to your promises and everything will go well for the both of you.” He said gently, then raised his voice and stared at the guests. “I present to you, Prince Draco Lucius Malfoy and Princess Ginevra Rose Malfoy, heirs of Birmingham's throne.”

While the guests applauded in a bored fashion, Ginevra tugged on the Prince's hands to make him look her in the eye. When he did so with a questioning look, she smirked.

“Well, husband, aren't you going to kiss your wife?” she teased, but turned away from him just has realization downed on his face. “Thank you for doing the ceremony, Mr. …?”

“Dumbledore, Albus Dumbledore. It's a pleasure to meet you, my Princess; I've heard great things about you.” The old man said, his eyes twinkling madly.

“Dumbledore? The Headmaster of Hogwarts?!” she gasped in shock, trying to ignore the close proximity of the Prince against her back, his hands gently settling on her shoulders.

“That's correct. I trust you had fun reading your brothers' books?” he asked, knowingly but not condemningly.

“Yes, they were very interesting, but how do you know that?” she asked, surprised with both the old man's knowledge of her life as well as surprised with the slight massage the Prince was giving to her shoulders.

“I believe it suffices to say that your beliefs are correct and should be pursued… Congratulations, to both of you…” he bowed slightly and left the circle, leaving the couple alone.

“Strange isn't he?” the Prince whispered next to her ear, causing a shiver to run down her body.

“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

“Well, my wife wanted a kiss…” he explained, quickly turning her around to face him and surrounded her waist with his arms, their noses practically touching. “Who am I to refuse her?”

With a small movement, their lips were softly touching in a gentle innocent kiss that surprised Ginevra beyond belief. As their lips parted, the Prince stared at his wife, her eyes closed, lips moist and slightly parted as if waiting for another kiss, a discrete redness on her pleased face. She was beautiful and when he had seen her walking to the centre of the stones' circle, his breathing had stopped. He had felt blessed to have such a beautiful smart young woman marry him, yet, at the moment of promises, he had faltered. Never in his life had he been asked to make promises that involved another person's happiness. How could he promise to be faithful to his wife when his social standing allowed him to have five young women at his disposal? How could he allow a low-class woman to rule the kingdom by his side, after being raised all his life to fulfil that role?

In the end he had been able to make the promise. Ginevra was very intelligent, she had a strong will and several ideas to change the wizarding laws, and so, perhaps she would end up being useful. About the faithfulness, well, his social position allowed him to have other women, so, no need to worry about that.

Caressing her face's smooth skin, the Prince watched in wonder as she slowly opened her chocolate-brown eyes, the sun making them shine brightly.

“I was only teasing you…” Ginevra whispered, dreamily gazing at him.

“And I took it as a challenge. Be careful, my dear, if you don't pay attention to what you say and do, you'll be having a lot of surprises… not all of them pleasant.” The Prince replied with a smirk on his face, pulling her by the waist to fit against his body and then he kissed her once again, more passionately this time, biting her lower lip, ordering her to open her lips for his tongue. Not knowing, for certain, what to do, she let him explore her mouth with his tongue, and paying close attention to his movements, Ginevra began to imitate him, drawing a deep groan from him. When both people knew what they're doing, it became much more pleasant.

Slowly, Prince Draco stopped the kiss and stared at her with surprise. She was a quick learner and appeared to enjoy his attentions… Maybe she would be equally fast in learning what to do in a bedroom.

“We should step out of the circle. Everyone's staring at us, waiting to give us their regards…” she said, trying to calm down her heavy breathing and her flaming cheeks. Her husband simply nodded his head in agreement and held her hand, leading her to one of the huge white tents, where the guests had already formed a long queue, according to social standing, the King and Queen being the first couple of the long line.

King Lucius maintained his usual impassive expression while the Queen smiled widely, showing how happy she was.

“Well done, Draco, Ginevra.” Was all the King said, while his wife hugged both his son and daughter-in-law.

“Congratulations, my darlings! It was a beautiful ceremony… Welcome to the family, Ginevra.” The Queen said happily, her silver-grey eyes turning a light blue.

“Thank you, Mother.” Ginevra replied, smiling back. “Where is my family?”

“They're at the back of the queue of guests, where they belong.” The King replied coldly, ignoring the anger that showed up in Ginevra's face.

“But they're my family! They should be up here, next to you… They haven't met Draco yet.” She whispered angrily, trying to be discrete.

“They'll meet me when they get here.” The Prince hissed in her ear and then looked at the next couple in the queue, smiling brightly, completely ignoring his furious wife. She really looked like a fire-goddess when she was angry.

Ginevra was not angry… she was beyond furious, almost exploding. How could they belittle her family? How could Prince Draco ignore her family that way, just ten minutes after marrying her?

The Queen gave her a sad smile that made Ginevra try to calm down and behave properly, as she had been told to. For the next hour she smiled and showed her pleasure for having all those foreign snob people at her wedding. As they said their `thank yous' to the guests they were led to the Palace on the black carriages, where the lunch would be held.

At last, the queue came to an end, but before she could hug her family, Ginevra had to face Miss Parkinson and Mr. Zabini.

“Lovely wedding, Draco, your wife is looking even more beautiful than usual.” Mr. Zabini smiled widely, bowing slightly to the newly-married couple.

“Oh, be quiet Blaise, one can immediately see that you know nothing about fashion…” Miss Parkinson mumbled under her breath, but loudly enough for the others to ear.

“Oh, Miss Parkinson, you shouldn't feel so bad that you're not wearing this dress or bonded to Draco… Someday you'll find someone who loves you; maybe when you grow some brains.” Ginevra replied acidly, an overly-sweet smile on her face. “Mr. Zabini, thank you very much for your compliment and for being at our wedding. It's always a pleasure to have pleasant friends supporting us.”

Mr. Zabini tried hard not to laugh at Miss Parkinson's outraged face and shook Prince Draco's hand.

“Draco, be careful with your wife, she's quite fiery… Don't get burned.” he chuckled, dragging Miss Parkinson away to one of the dark carriages, but she released her arm from his hands and went back to couple, stepping in front of the whole Weasley family, that was starting to approach them.

“Know this, you filthy little girl, you'll be having nothing that I haven't already had! He was mine before you married him, and he'll keep on being mine, whenever he wishes to and you'll have no say on that matter.” Miss Parkinson yelled furiously, completely out of herself. “And don't you ever dare speak to me that way, again!”

“Enough!” Prince Draco's furious voice yelled, as he grabbed Miss Parkinson's fist, since she was raising her arm to slap Ginevra. “She's my wife now, Pansy, she's the Princess. I believe you were raised to show respect to your superiors…”

“Draco, she insulted me! How can you take her side?” Miss Parkinson shrieked in outrage, staring daggers at Ginevra who smirked mischievously.

“She's your Princess, soon to be your Queen, so show her the respect she deserves and try to control your nasty temper.” He ordered, releasing her wrist. “Bow before your Princess, Pansy…”

Miss Parkinson's face became red with rage, her hands closed in fists, trying hard to control her violent thoughts, and slowly, she curtseyed before Ginevra and the Prince.

“Thank you for your kindness, Miss Parkinson, it's wonderful to know that my vassals know their position.” Ginevra replied teasingly with a smirk on her face and watched as the other woman went back to the carriage, walking briskly too release her fury.

“And you; try to control your nasty side as well… As much as I would enjoy it, I don't think it would look good on the new Princess to cat-fight with another woman.” The Prince said, his eyes showing her how serious he was, despite his smooth voice. “Will you introduce me to your family, now?”

For the next minutes, Ginevra introduced her big family to her husband, delighted to see he was very pleasant with them. Her mother and sisters-in-law seemed to be delighted to see how beautiful and pleasant he was, but Ginevra knew he wasn't always like that… He knew when he should or shouldn't be a gentleman.

At last, the big family filled up several carriages and was taken to the Palace, while Ginevra and Prince Draco followed them in their white carriage.

“That was a huge hesitation, back there…” Ginevra said, looking out the window.

“Not really. I took as much time as I felt I needed.” He replied coldly, not wanting to justify his behaviour.

“I'm sure that if you had a choice, you would have ran out of that place.” She chuckled at the mental image. “I wouldn't have blamed you, really.”

He just stared at her in silence, pleased to see that she wasn't angry with his hesitation. Had it been any other woman and he would have to cover his ears because of her yelling and bawling.

“I'm glad you understand.” Was all Prince Draco replied.

“Well, I understand that part, but I'm furious at you for ignoring my family that way. I know we are from low-class, but they are MY family and they deserved to be one of the first persons to congratulate us!” Ginevra said, the anger coming back to her voice, as she turned away from the window to face him, her eyes blazing.

“You look great when you're furious, did you know that?” he chuckled, holding her chin in his hand and caressing her lips with his thumb.

“Don't do that when I'm trying to be angry at you…” she whispered, unconsciously leaning into his touch and then, immediately turned her head away from his hand, trying to regain complete control over her thoughts. It wouldn't do to melt on his hands when she was trying to be angry.

They were quiet the rest of the ride, neither wanting to start a fight or a heated kiss that would lead to uncomfortable questions and feelings. At last they arrived at the Palace's entry and as soon as Prince Draco exited the carriage, hundreds of people started cheering and applauding, but it was nothing compared to the reaction Ginevra got when she stepped down from the vehicle, Parvati hurriedly spreading the dress's train on the floor. The crowd seemed to go wild when they saw Ginevra, as if they were facing the kingdom's heroine, and that made her feel like floating. The kingdom was supporting her, and she would try to give back her appreciation. Standing next to her now husband, Ginevra waved at them, smiling widely, noticing that the Prince was frowning.

“Why are you doing that ugly face?” she asked, still waving.

He didn't reply. Draco Lucius Malfoy was shocked that his wife had such a reaction from the population that usually reacted that way towards him. Why were they so interested in her? Would that affect his power over the kingdom?

It was a cold Prince that led his wife through the Palace's corridors, towards the Ballroom that today was replete with dozens of circular tables, covered in silver silk, the finest porcelain with the Malfoy's Coat of Arms emblazoned on it, the sun light hitting crystal glasses and reflecting different colours around the room, flowers decorating the tables' candelabras, the shiny cutlery begging to be used, the silver silk ribbons surrounding the rolled up white napkins; in a corner of the room, the quartet of strings was playing soft music, relaxing the guests... Everything was looking perfect, as expected and Ginevra felt a great happiness to have such a beautiful party on her wedding day.

There wasn't much happening from that moment on. Several different dishes were served, during long hours; everyone had to remain sat until the end of the meal

Ginevra was alone in a table with her husband, but they both kept quiet during most of the meal, rarely commenting on the food or wine. On the other side of the room, Miss Parkinson kept shooting hateful looks at Ginevra, which she ignored, and on a near-by table, her family smiled at her and waved, from time to time, trying to give her strength to go through with the day. On another near-by table, Mr. and Mrs. Potter were happily chatting with the other guests, and Mrs. Potter, once in a while, winked at Ginevra, making her feel much better.

“The meal is over.” Prince Draco's voice said next to her, waking her from her reverie.

“Wonderful, I'm tired of spending so much time sitting with this corset digging into my ribs and pretending to eat foods I absolutely know nothing about.” She complained, trying to massage her sore ribs, unsuccessfully.

“We are expected to retire now, but before that we must say our goodbyes.” He explained as he sipped his wine, his face showing no emotion, whatsoever.

Ginevra's face went pale, and if at that moment the old vipers were looking at her, they wouldn't have criticized her tanned skin. Now was the time for the intimacies of the bedroom. She had talked with Hermione about this, but she still felt there was more to sex than what she had heard, and Ginevra now feared what would come next.

As the guests began to rise from their seats, the tables magically disappeared and the Ballroom became ample once again, a few waitresses walking among the guests handing out glasses of champagne and other drinks.

“Ginevra, you look wonderful.” Mrs. Potter smiled brightly, showing up by her side with her husband in tow, when Prince Draco joined a group of important looking people.

“Thank you, Hermione. I'm so tired I could sleep for two days straight…” she complained. “Draco has just told me we must retire and I'm happy. As soon as my head hits the pillow I'll be gone.”

“Uh… Ginevra, I don't think you'll be doing that.” Mrs. Potter replied carefully, her face turning beet red, while Mr. Potter just chuckled.

“We'll see about that!” Ginevra replied, completely sure of her ideas, but Mr. Potter just chuckled harder, his green eyes twinkling madly. “Mr. Potter, and what is so funny that makes you feel so amused in my presence?”

She was teasing him and the three of them knew it. She didn't know why, but Ginevra liked the handsome man that was Mrs. Potter's husband. They made such a nice young couple, and Hermione was such a wonderful woman, that Ginevra faced Mr. Potter as another friend.

“You remind me of another fiery tempered person I met, a few years ago.” He replied, gazing lovingly at Mrs. Potter, his hand caressing her cheek.

Ginevra smiled warmly, wishing she could achieve that kind of relationship, one day. Leaving the passionate couple alone, she went to her family, who announced they would be leaving soon.

“Thank you for being here today. I'm truly sorry we couldn't spend more time together, but these people follow so many etiquette protocols that I'm not even allowed to be with you.” She apologised, hugging each and every one of them.

“We understand, and we all hope you'll have a happy life with your husband… But, please, don't ever forget your family. We all love you, Ginny.” Her mother said, a few tears escaping her eyes.

“I know, mum, I know…” she replied, trying to keep the tears from falling.

“Ginevra.” Her husband's voice called as his hand landed gently on her shoulder. “It's time to say our goodbyes.”

“Of course.” She whispered, saying one last goodbye to her family before her husband led her away, to join his parents.

“Mother, Father, we will retire now. Good evening.” The Prince said, bowing slightly before his parents.

The King pulled his son to the side, to speak privately, while Ginevra stayed behind with the Queen.

“Make him deserve what he wants, don't give him everything in a silver platter.” The Queen whispered quickly, gripping Ginevra's hands tightly in hers. “Make him realise you'll not break under his hands. It will hurt, but not for long, so, don't worry much and enjoy. Make him yours only, Ginevra!”

At that moment, the Prince appeared by their side and took a very confused and worried Ginevra to the front of the room where they said their goodbyes to the guests.

The newly married couple left the warm Ballroom and began to walk down the chillier hallways, Ginevra following her husband, without knowing where they were going. As they passed her bedroom, she prepared to enter, but he noticed her gesture and stopped abruptly.

“Your bedroom is not there anymore. From now on we'll have a new bedroom on the first floor.” He said, holding her hand to lead her away, and she quietly followed, trying hard not to imagine what would be happening in the bedroom, that night. Was it true, what the Queen had said? It would… hurt?

<<<((()))>>>

Hello my dearest readers, thank you so much for wishing me a Happy Birthday, I had never received so many well-wishes in such a wonderful way. I truly felt honoured.

My birthday party was wonderful and just one information: In Portugal you are allowed to drink alcohol from 16 years-old and up. I don't like alcohol that much, so, I party without it and still have lots of fun.

I'm home for 2 weeks, but I still have to work on school things, but don't worry, I'm still thinking about this fic and I'm proud of this last chapter.

I'VE ALREADY ORDERED MY HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE, and I can hardly wait until July! I'm so excited!!!

Well, I wish you all a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR.

Lots and lots of love,

Carina

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9. Wedding Night

Chapter 9 - Wedding night

Their new bedroom, as he had called it, was huge, with several glass double doors leading to a large balcony, overlooking the garden. The bed was made of English Oak and had four posters made of ivory, carefully carved with roses and leafs embellishing its smooth texture. The bed cover was of a very dark green colour and the fabric felt like velvet on her fingers. On the wall opposite the bed, between two double doors, was a vanity table and next to the double entrance doors was a very large wardrobe with mirrors on its doors. This seemed to remind Ginevra that she wanted to remove the dress.

“Do you know where Parvati is? I can't take this dress off by myself…” she said, sitting tiredly on the bed.

“Tonight, there will be no maids to help us.” He said, quickly removing his robe and placing it on a near-by chair. “I can help you…”

“Oh, I forgot you have a wand! Well, could you spell my dress open, then?” she asked, her voice slightly shaking in nervousness as she turned her back on him, expecting the tingling of a spell to run down her back. She did feel the tingling, but its origin wasn't in a spell, but rather on two warm hands, caressing her neck and then lower, to start unbuttoning the long row of small buttons of her wedding dress. “Why aren't you using magic?”

“I believe in this other kind of magic; the magic of seduction by gentle touches that leads to much more.” He whispered in her ear, nibbling her earlobe as he finished the buttons and began to caress her, now, naked back.

Ginevra closed her eyes and sighed pleasurably, enjoying the gentle caresses on her tired muscles.

“Thank you for the help, it was very nice of you…” she mumbled, picking up a nightdress from one of the drawers and went to the bathroom to change clothes in privacy, leaving a grinning Prince Draco behind.

“You're mine, Ginevra…” he mumbled to the empty bedroom, starting to undo his white shirt, leaving it open to show off his pale, yet muscular chest.

Inside of the bathroom, Ginevra exhaled deeply, dropping the relaxed facade and allowing the worry and anxiousness to creep in. It was so easy to be seduced by her husband, but at the same time, it was too dangerous for her to let herself be seduced. Ginevra needed to maintain her independence if she wanted to change a few things about the Kingdom. She had to follow the Queen's advice and show some resistance.

Stepping out of her dress and under skirt, she placed them on a chair near the bathtub and put on a long white silk nightgown with lace on the shoulder straps and over the chest. It was beautiful but too thin to wear without an outer-robe; unfortunately, Ginevra didn't have one at hand, so she would have to face the Prince looking like that.

`Ginevra, my dear, remember that you're married now, he has the right to touch you and see you naked, if he wants to.' She thought, standing in front of the mirror while she removed the pins holding her hair up. `Let him touch you and just follow his movements; it worked with the kiss… But, don't forget the Queen's advice; don't let him have too much control over the situation.'

Taking a deep breath, Ginevra opened the bathroom door and stopped on her way out. The Prince was standing right in front of the bathroom door, his white shirt hanging open to show off a delicious amount of pale skin that glowed with the candle light, his smile growing larger and larger as he watched his wife struggle to stop staring at him.

Gulping, she averted her eyes from his chest, walked to the vanity table and sat down on the comfortable seat in front of the mirror, picking up a brush to comb her hair. Prince Draco remained behind her, his crossed arms showing off his musculature, watching her untangle her hair from tips to roots, the redness of it resembling a fire that promised to wrap him in a warm caress for as long as he wished to.

“Your hair is beautiful, but, unfortunately, you have to hide it in those elaborate hair-dos.” He commented gently, taking a couple of steps to stand right behind her, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders and then on the hair that gathered over there. Slowly, he leaned his face down to her neck and gently kissed the point right behind her ear and then lower and lower until he reached the point where neck and shoulder met.

“You can change that part of the law when you become a King.” Ginevra replied smoothly, returning the brush to the vanity table and then faced the mirror again, watching the beauty of them both together, her husband's blond head placed on the curve of her neck, nibbling her skin and making her shiver with something… perhaps pleasure, she wasn't sure.

“I believe not, as it would cause too many incidents like rapes, violence and betrayal. We need peace and quiet in our Kingdom, not women betraying their husbands and leaving their families, or being raped because men felt seduced by their femininity.” Prince Draco reasoned, straightening up his posture, but maintaining his hands on his wife's shoulders. “Don't you agree?”

“Yes, you're probably correct on that point, but if those women could use magic, as they should, they could protect themselves from that kind of harm, from dangerous men or dangerous situations.” Ginevra replied angrily, standing up from her seat and started to pace the bedroom, her long hair flowing around her white clad body. “Don't YOU agree?”

“What good would it do to them, when they stay at home, taking care of their children and their husband's meals? If women truly wanted to leave their homes to learn magic, they would have said so by now… Just because you want something, Ginevra, it doesn't mean that all women want it as well.” The Prince replied gently, watching her distressed features.

“Perhaps they're just waiting for someone to take that first step, Draco. The society looks down on any woman that doesn't behave to standard etiquette, women aren't supposed to have opinions, their duties don't include cognitive activity…” she replied, utterly furious now as she faced him and placed her hands on her hips, a very similar position to the one her mother used to yell at her brothers. “Well, you are out of luck, Draco, because I am capable of rational thought beyond dresses, hair-dos and gossip. I've read all of your schoolbooks; I know every single spell on them, every single potion, and every single history fact on magic! All I need is a wand and the authorization to use it.”

Prince Draco just stared at her with something akin to proud showing on his face, but no surprise. He had already expected that from her, that was obvious.

“I'm not saying you're dumb, Ginevra, all that I'm saying is that perhaps you should stick to being a proper lady. You don't need magic! You have servants that will do anything you wish, you'll have me as well, whenever you want something, so what's the need for you to have a wand?” he reasoned, taking a few steps closer to her, trying to hold her in his arms, but Ginevra just stepped back, a hurt look on her face.

“The need, as you call it, Draco, is that I feel incomplete knowing that I DO have powers, I HAVE the knowledge to use them, but I DON'T have the instrument nor the authorization to use it.” She whispered, ignoring the sad tears running down her face. “I know you like women, so, use this example: you LIKE women, you KNOW how to please them, but you are physically UNABLE to do so, for example, you had no prick. How would you feel, uh?”

Prince Draco just stared at her in shock, his mouth slightly open and his eyes wide.

“Where the bloody hell did you learn that kind of language?” he gasped in shock.

“Don't forget, I have six foulmouthed brothers.” She replied, shrugging her shoulders and quietly walked to the bed, pushing down the covers and preparing to lie down.

“Indeed, I believe you've spent way too much time among men. Ladies shouldn't say things like that.” He chuckled, grabbing her arm to stop her from lying down on the bed. “Are you willing to consummate our bonding tonight?”

Ginevra remained silent, not knowing what to answer. On one hand she really wanted to share the intimate experience with him, she felt attracted and curious to know what was so special about sex. On the other hand, she didn't want to live the embarrassing situation of subjecting herself to him. At her long silence, the Prince took her lack of answer as a refusal and prepared to leave the bedroom.

“Where are you going?” she whispered, trembling slightly.

“I may be a lot of bad things, but I'm not a rapist, Ginevra…” he answered with a scowl. “I'll spend the night elsewhere.”

`He's going to the bed maids… Oh no, I won't allow that!' Ginevra thought and taking a deep breath walked towards him and tentatively placed her hands on his bare chest, caressing it gently and then laced her arms around his neck, making him lower his head until their lips were almost touching. Their eyes locked together and Ginevra smiled shyly.

“You are not that bad, you git, and I forbid you of seeking other women from now on.” She whispered before kissing him softly, allowing him to place his arms around her waist and to deepen the kiss. His warm lips caressed hers and with the tip of his tongue he licked her lips, asking for entrance, which she conceded.

Slowly, her husband placed his hands on her hips and started to rise her nightgown, gathering the fabric on her thighs to expose her skin and then he pulled it up until it was under her arms.

“Can I?” he whispered against her lips, his breath brushing over her face, making her shiver pleasantly.

Ginevra knew she was profusely blushing, but she had made up her mind about this, and slowly she nodded, raising her arms above her head and the Prince removed the gown from her body, leaving her completely naked.

She was slightly tall, her legs long and shapely, her body was slightly tanned showing how much time she spent outdoors, her waist was thin and her hips slightly rounded, perfect for a man's hands to hold, her chest wasn't very full, but it still was a good size and they were very firm, probably from lifting heavy weights, on a daily basis.

Watching his mesmerized face observing her body, Ginevra took matters in hands and removed the open shirt from his body, leaving his muscular chest bare for her to study with her eyes and hands.

“Like what you see?” he whispered closed to her ear, kissing her jaw line.

Ginevra didn't bother to reply and just kept running her hands over his chest and back, enjoying the small shivers running through her husband's body. Realising that she was the only one naked, Ginevra started unbuckling his trousers' belt, making him gasp in surprise.

“You sure are acting bravely… You would have made a great Gryffindor.” he mumbled, taking a step back from her body to allow her a better access to his waist. Ginevra was looking down, her long hair covering her body and its tips brushing his skin, making him ticklish. He only woke up from his observation of her when he heard her gasp loudly. `Oops, forgot to warn her I don't usually wear undergarments…'

He was now facing his wife's back, as she was too shocked and ashamed to look at him, knowing how undressed he was. Slowly he moulded his body to her back, making her feel his erection pressing against her backside.

“I'm not ashamed to look at you, Ginevra, and I would like you to look at me too. We are married, we are allowed to see each other in the most intimate way.” He whispered in her ear, removing her arms from around her body and making her turn around to face him once again, her eyes never leaving his face, afraid of what she would see. “Look at me, Ginevra.”

She really couldn't stop from obeying to his gentle order and slowly ran her eyes down his face, his chest and holding her breath looked at the point bellow his waist, her eyes widening and her breath coming out in another gasp.

When she had seen her brothers in their baths, their… uh, sexual organs, had never been so… big, hard looking, standing up like her husband's was.

“Is it… normal for it to be like that?” she asked, her eyes never leaving his aroused member.

“Only when I'm aroused… And right now I am, very much so.” He explained amusedly, enjoying the fact that she was so innocent and at the same time so full of knowledge. Taking one of her hands he directed it to his rock hard member and sighed as her hand touched it at last. He let her explore his body for a few moments, watching her interested face, but soon he was too aroused to keep letting her touch him. Slowly he directed her to the bed, laid her on it and then laid by her side, caressing her cheek with his hands.

In a rush that was part arousal, part the need to hide her embarrassment and confusion, and a big part courage, Ginevra pushed past his thumb, kissing him first. He stilled for a moment, surprised, then encouraged her with a stroke of his hand down to her breast, and a stroke of his tongue past her lips.

Kneading her flesh, he kissed her back for a few more moments, then dipped his head, plumping her nipple between two of his splayed fingers. A flick of his tongue against the teased, rosy peak made her gasp. A shift of his hand, and he sucked the whole of her areola into his lips, greedily but gently, his intent to pleasure, not hurt. Her hand touched his arm, his shoulder, feathered its way into his hair, cupping his head and encouraging him to do more.

Prince Draco occupied himself for a while with the worship of her firm breasts. But as she caressed the parts of him that she could reach, he did the same to her, and that meant his hand eventually found its way between her thighs, his fingers delving through her slick folds.

Ginevra was confused and yet pleased with the delicious shivers he was sending through her veins. Whimpering, she parted her knees, silently demanding more and obliging, he kissed his way down her ticklish stomach.

At the last moment, awareness of what he was about to do filtered through her pleasure-hazed consciousness. Eyes widening, Ginevra drew in a breath, ready to protest at the sheer intimacy, but he parted her folds with his fingers, and lapped at their hidden depths…and her uncertain protest escaped as a shout of shocked pleasure instead. “—Draco! Oh, Merlin!”

He didn't stop, despite the peak and decline of her orgasm; probably her very first one ever. He couldn't stop, not when she cried out and shuddered, arching her hips up into his mouth, letting him know that, nervous or not, she clearly loved what he was doing to her. He had hesitated in doing this with other women in the past; for all that he found it enjoyable those few times he had tried. Those women had usually been of a somewhat loose nature; but his wife was too young to be so physically jaded, and clearly too innocent in her demeanour and her responses.

He laved and nipped, savouring her as she writhed under him, ensuring she crested yet another peak of pleasure, before easing a finger into her depths. She gasped at the unfamiliar invasion and winced a little, a twitch of all her muscles, as he eased a second finger in beside the first, stretching her flesh. Prince Draco soothed her with gentle words, easing his way inside; pressing in as far as those two fingers could go. The knowledge of how tight she was around just two of his fingers reminded him of how hard he was, of how tight she would be when sheathing his shaft.

At last he withdrew his hands and lips, and crawling back up over her body he saluted the peak of each breast, then her mouth, letting her taste herself on his lips. To his astonishment, she growled and kissed him harder; wanting more of the wonderful sensations he was making her feel.

Prince Draco raised himself up slightly and moved her legs so that that his hips were cradled, his shaft probing at her entrance and began to slowly push his way inside her, moving with short, sharp thrusts, when she suddenly flinched.

`I wonder if this was what the Queen warned me about. It's hurting…' Ginevra thought, biting hard on her bottom lip and digging her fingernails on the Prince's back.

“Relax; it'll be better in a few moments… I promise.” He whispered gently, kissing her forehead and in one swift movement, Prince Draco thrust inside. The tearing of her innocence was a momentary flash of pain, and then she felt incredibly full as he seated himself to the hilt. He gave her a few moments to become accustomed to his being inside her, and then began to stroke slowly, with small thrusts, all the time caressing her face and whispering soft words of encouragement. She felt a tension building inside her body, the same one that had made her feel so unbelievably good when he had kissed her silky folds. A few moments later she felt him tense against her, his movements becoming less measured and more erratic, and then with a final thrust, he spilled into her, groaning her name as he came. The tension burst within her and she cried out, dragging her nails down his back, leaving ten similar lines marked on the pale skin, a few drops of blood escaping from them.

Draco rolled to his side, pulling her close beside him and nestling her head beneath his chin. They lay there silently, their laboured breath slowly returning to normal, a slight sheen of sweat on their bodies. Ginny stirred and then turned to face him, trying to make sense of what had just happened. She opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her with a gentle finger on her lips. “No, not now, Ginevra. Let's save our discussions for tomorrow, right now I just want to enjoy going to sleep with you in my arms,” he murmured. With a soft kiss, he pulled her back into his embrace, and started stroking her hair.

“I just wanted to ask what the wet sticky thing is, running down my thigh. It's tickling me…” she mumbled, scrunching up her face.

The Prince laughed loudly, his chest moving quickly with his laughter, making Ginevra's head jump up and down, making her irritated.

“What's so funny? It really is uncomfortable…” she scowled.

“I know it is, but don't worry about it. When a man and a woman copulate, the man places his seed inside of her womb. That's what it is… Your body accepts a part of my seed and the rest comes out.” He explained calmly, wondering if he had ever had to explain such thing to another person and found that the answer was no, he hadn't.

“Oh, alright… I'm sorry for being so dumb about this. I'm sure the other women you've been with had a lot of experience.” She mumbled, burying her face on his chest.

“Ginevra, forget about that, please. Now, let's sleep and we'll talk tomorrow...” he whispered, kissing the top of her head.

Ginny gave it up for now, and curled into him - morning would come soon enough. She had been scared about being intimate with her husband after the Queen's words, but now she realized the older woman had been right all along… It only hurt for a few moments, and then it was only glorious pleasure, such wonderful sensations that she had never felt before. She wondered if this part of their marriage would always be successful and help them to eventually love each other.

`Are you sure you don't love him already?' a soft voice whispered in her head right before she fell asleep, her arms around her husband's chest, his hands on her waist and her head tucked under his chin.

******mmmmmm******

Hello, dearest readers, I'm sorry but I had some trouble uploading this chapter, but now it's finally ok.

At the moment I'm extremely busy, I have 4 PowerPoint presentations to do, two school projects to end in two weeks and my exams will start very soon.

I am just like Hermione and must be top of the class, so in exams time, I go nuts with so much studying!

Well, this chapter is shorter and only shows the wedding night, but I wanted to keep it clean without the events of the following day to ruin the mood.

I'll try my best to update in two weeks or so, so please, wait for me, alright?

Love, Carina

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10. From Laughter to Tears

Chapter 10 - From laughter to tears

How would you describe those first moments in the morning when you feel the warmness and far away sounds surrounding you, but you're still in the lightest of sleeps?

Ginevra Malfoy, Princess of Birmingham's Kingdom described it as delicious. Her body temperature was warm and pleasant, the covers weren't too heavy on top of her naked body and each movement of hers made the silky bed sheets brush her sensitive skin. By her side she could feel a source of heat and she snuggled closer to it, draping an arm around what felt like another human body, but she didn't waste time thinking about reasons why she had another person in her bed. Behind her closed eyes she could see a bright light, probably it was day already and slowly, she began to stir, rubbing her face against the warm skin she was hugging and her eyes fluttered open, a happy smile on her lips.

The smile, however, disappeared as soon as she realised that she had been right in assuming there was another person in her bed, and that person had pale skin, silver grey eyes and tousled blond hair.

“Good morning, wife…” her husband whispered, brushing the hair from her eyes with one warm hand. “You look very surprised to see me here. Did you expect me to be gone, when the morning came?”

“No, I just forgot I was married now… I think it'll take some time to get used to, you know?” she replied, allowing him to caress her face and just kept her arms around him. It would bring too many problems between them if she refused his intimate touches. She wanted this marriage to work and truth was, she had enjoyed last night.

Probably he wasn't feeling that same awkwardness of waking up with someone naked, by his side. Probably he was used to waking up with a different woman each day.

`Enough, Ginny, don't think too much about his affairs, just think about you and him, no one else…' she told herself, sighing deeply and closing her eyes sleepily.

“I ordered us some breakfast. Are you hungry?” his soothing voice whispered in her ear.

“Yes, I'm famished.” She smiled with her eyes still closed and rubbed her cheek against his. The gentle gesture seemed to be what he was waiting for as he slowly placed his lips on hers, kissing her softly into wakefulness. “Are you always this gentle with the other women?”

`Oh, oh; wrong thing to say. Ginny, please, learn to keep your mouth shut!' she scolded herself as she felt her husband break the kiss and roll away from her, leaving her feeling cold without his body close to her.

“I'm sorry, Draco, it was stupid of me to say that.” She apologised, her eyes trying to catch his, but he never allowed her to, gazing out the window instead. “Hey, won't you say something witty to come back at me?”

Her attempt at humour didn't work as the Prince remained still, ignoring her for a few moments more. Ginevra sighed sadly, sat next to him, keeping the bed sheet covering her naked body and ran her hands through her tousled hair.

“Weren't we supposed to try a happy marriage? We married less than twenty-four hours ago and already we're about to fight… Believe me, I would be glad to snap at you, but I promised myself and to the gods, to try and make you happy.” He said harshly, his face looking cold and irritated. “Can't you please just forget about my past and move on? I'm being gentle and loving - something I rarely include in my vocabulary, mind you - and you start talking about the other women I've spent time with…”

“Oh, don't you dare victimize yourself, Draco Lucius Malfoy! That strategy may work with your mother and other people, but not with me. Remember, six brothers and all that?” Ginevra replied, angry that he was trying to make her guilty of something she had no control over. “I admit that my comment was completely uncalled for, but I can't help it. The truth his that your fame precedes you, and you've proved yourself to be a man who enjoys women… How can I forget that you've spent several nights with other women? That you've touched them like you touched me last night?”

“So, now I'm the guilty one for being desirable and enjoying pleasurable companies?” he sneered, finally looking at his wife and immediately regretting having done so. His wife was a beautiful woman, especially when wearing nothing but the bed sheets and her long red hair framing her beautiful face.

“Oh, you're so full of yourself…” she complained.

Considering that he had seen and touched her whole naked body the previous night, Ginevra decided that she had nothing to hide, anymore, and in a show of great courage, she threw away the bedcovers and left the bed, picking up her nightgown from the floor, putting it quickly on. Next to the balcony's double doors was a small table full of food. Sitting down on a chair, she buttered a piece of toast, served herself of some tea and prepared to eat.

“Maybe I should give you something real to talk about…” he said, still seating on the bed, watching her eat.

“What do you mean?” she asked, sipping her tea and looking out the window, watching the wind brush the trees' tops.

“Maybe I should keep on seeing other women so that you could keep on making those stupid comments…” he replied, standing up from the bed, without bothering to put some clothes on and came to stand next to her completely naked, but Ginevra simply ignored him, although her face became flushed.

“Well, that's what I call an extremely stupid idea, the kind of ideas that only men can have; but I won't stop you from doing anything. You should listen to reason, evaluate the situation, remember the promises you made and from there, decide on what to do.” She replied coldly. “It's incredible how we're fighting over an unhappy comment I made and already apologized for!”

“Well, I don't feel very forgiving this morning… Someone ruined my happy mood.” he replied, placing a hand under her chin and making her turn her head to look up at him. “I could forgive you and stop this nonsense right now, if…”

“If what, Draco?” she groaned, her face showing the frustration she felt.

“If we repeat last night's performance right now.” He whispered, slowly kissing her lips, although both kept their eyes open, studying the other's reactions. Ginny allowed him to kiss her and responded quite eagerly, both because she enjoyed kissing him and because she wanted to make him realise what he would be missing in case he decided to betray her with other women.

“You won't always get what you want, Draco, and you won't resolve our divergences with seduction and sex…” she warned him with a serious expression. “That would only make us stop talking about the issue at hand, but I would keep on thinking about it and get frustrated for not having solved our divergences. If you aren't willing to accept my honest apology and forgive me, then I won't forgive myself for giving you what you want, right now, sex.”

Her husband just stared at her in shock and anger for having his request refused. Prince Draco made no move to put distance between them and he showed no intention to open his mouth, so Ginevra just rose from her seat and quickly crossed the bedroom to enter the bathroom. After a long bath, she surrounded her body with a fluffy white towel and entered the bedroom, only to find it empty. Prince Draco had left.

“How much more complicated can we get? We even fight over the smallest things!” Ginevra complained to Mrs. Potter, a few hours later in the Sitting Room. Apparently, last night Mrs. Potter had felt too sick to make the trip back to the Potter Manor, so the couple had stayed at the Palace. At the moment, Mr. Potter was playing cards with the Queen while the younger women talked in hushed tones next to the lit fireplace, their cheeks rosy because of the heat and because of the last night's descriptions that Ginevra had just made.

“Harry and I fought the morning after our wedding, as well.” Mrs. Potter confessed with a sad sigh. “He stayed away for a few days and I ignored him as well, but the truth was, I was dying to run to his arms and kiss him… Those days we spent apart made me realise I felt something deeper for him, not just lust or admiration. I loved him.”

“How did you solve that fight?” Ginevra asked curiously.

“The Queen asked us to visit her and she locked us in this same room. I had told her, just like you are telling me now; the problems between me and my husband, and she decided to give some help… I was furious at her when she locked us, but later I agreed that she was a great help. Harry and I had to talk, while we were locked that afternoon, and eventually we apologised to each other and we… uh, I really shouldn't tell you the last part. It suffices to say we made up… twice…” Mrs. Potter explained, her face growing even redder, although this time, not because of the fire.

Ginevra stared at her for a few moments, trying to make sense of her friend's words and, at last, she got the meaning of Mrs. Potter's words.

“You had sex in the Queen's living room?” she gasped in shock, covering her wide open mouth with her hands.

“Sshh, don't talk so loudly!” Mrs. Potter scolded her, but an amused smile appeared on her face. “Yes, and it was wonderful. The beginning of a happy marriage…”

“I'm happy for you, Hermione; I'm glad you love your husband and that he loves you back…” Ginevra whispered honestly. “Do you think that Draco will do what he menaced to do? Do you think he'll seek other women?”

“Yes, I think he will, Ginevra.” Mrs. Potter replied, hiding nothing from her friend. “Men always find the worst tactics to get revenge from their wives, brides or girlfriends. He'll probably seek the bed maids and pretend you don't even exist. You will sleep alone for a few days until either of you takes the first step to reconciliation.”

“I gave my apologies, Hermione, and he refused them wanting to trade them for sex, as if I was some whore, exchanging services! If he wants war, he'll have war, but if he wants to make peace, then he'll have to come to me first…” Ginevra replied, feeling extremely frustrated by the whole situation. After taking a few deep breaths, she managed to smile a little and study her tired looking friend. “How are you, Hermione? Are you still feeling sick?”

“I feel better now, but last night I felt dizzy and my stomach couldn't hold any food down. I spent most of the night throwing up in the bathroom with Harry rubbing my back, supporting me even in that gross moment…”

“He's so sweet…” Ginevra cooed, looking over at the handsome man chatting with Queen Narcissa. “You're very lucky, and so is he, for having you. Hermione, my mother had seven children, and she usually helps our neighbours delivering their babies. I've heard the pregnancy symptoms and you actually fit in the category. Are you pregnant?”

Mrs. Potter just stared at Ginevra in shock, her brown eyes wide open, her mouth slightly open and her eyebrows nearly touching her hairline. Slowly, her face began to go back to its normal appearance and her breathing went back to normal.

“Do you think so?” was all she said, hope evident in her voice.

“I cannot give you the confirmation, but I believe you are… You should be examined by a Healer. I know he isn't a Healer, but maybe Mr. Snape could help and give you something for the sickness.”

“Yes, it's a good idea, but I don't want Harry to know yet.” Mrs. Potter pleaded. “He was an orphan most of his life and now he wants to have the family he never had. I want to give it to him, but it would be too cruel to raise his hopes and then destroy them because of an indigestion caused by something I ate last night.”

“Don't worry, it's our secret… I'll ask a guard to bring me an owl to my bedroom and I'll write a letter to Mr. Snape.” Ginevra smiled widely, happy to be plotting with Mrs. Potter. “I'll be back in a few minutes…”

After sending an urgent owl to the Potions Master, Ginevra went back to the Sitting Room just in time to join them in lunch. Mrs. Potter lacked the appetite to eat, either because of her sickness or because of her anxiety. Mr. Potter kept on urging her to eat, showing great concern with her. The King showed no interest in keeping a conversation with the other table occupants, and Prince Draco didn't even show up for the meal. Ginevra's happy mood fell a little when she realised he wouldn't be coming for lunch, but a supporting smile from Mrs. Potter made her smile again. She could hardly wait to know if Mrs. Potter was pregnant or not.

As Ginevra had requested in her letter, Mr. Snape announced his arrival through Parvati, without the others realising the maid giving the message to her mistress. Ginevra quickly signalled Mrs. Potter to follow her, leaving Mr. Potter and the Queen talking about a book they had both read recently. Holding hands the girls went to Ginevra's old bedroom where Mr. Snape was already waiting for them.

“Good afternoon, Milady Ginevra and Mrs. Potter.” The tall, dark man said, making a small curtsey to both ladies. “I'm wondering the reason why I was called with such urgency to the Palace and under such secrecy…”

“Forgive us for disturbing you, Mr. Snape, but we need your help in something.” Ginevra apologised with a warm smile, signalling to Mrs. Potter to take over the conversation.

“I've spent the whole night vomiting and feeling dizzie. I thought I might have eaten something that made me sick, last night, but Ginevra tells me I might be pregnant. Can you confirm our doubts?” Mrs. Potter asked nervously.

Mr. Snape smirked at the nervous woman and nodded in agreement.

“So, we might have a young Potter on the way, uh? I would give anything to avoid teaching another Potter brat…” he complained teasingly.

“Well, that's too bad, as it would be a great honour to have the best Potions Master in all Britain, teaching my child the secrets of Potion brewing.” The comment seemed to render Mr. Snape speechless, and for the first time he showed a small smile.

“Flattery will get you anywhere…” he chuckled and placed a small parcel on top of the nightstand. With his wand he returned the parcel to its normal size and opened it, revealing several potions bottles inside of it. “Mrs. Potter, please lay down on the bed.”

With his wand, Mr. Snape performed several spells on Mrs. Potter and a white glow began to surround her body. The professor's face showed no emotion so it was hard to understand if the white glow was good news or bad news. Placing his wand inside of his black robe, the quiet man picked up a potion from his bag and gave it to Mrs. Potter. This time, a blue colour surrounded her and he frowned.

“What is it? Is it something bad?” Mrs. Potter asked nervously, the tears already falling down her face. Ginevra quickly crossed the room to sit on the bed, next to her friend.

“I advise you to loosen up your corset. Your womb cannot be tight from now on, if you want your baby boy to grow up healthy.” Mr. Snape replied with a frown and turned to search inside of his bag for a potion bottle.

“I'm pregnant? I'm pregnant!” Mrs. Potter gasped in shock, a huge smile on her face as she turned around to face Ginevra. “A baby boy, Ginevra! A baby boy… Oh, Harry will be so happy!”

Ginevra smiled as well, a few happy tears falling down her cheeks, and then she turned to face Mr. Snape.

“Thank you so much for helping us, Mr. Snape, and don't worry, you have almost twelve years to prepare yourself for another Potter brat.” Ginevra joked with a big smile on her face. “Hermione, I'll send Parvati to help you loosen your corset while I accompany Mr. Snape on his way out.”

Mrs. Potter just nodded; her gaze dreamy as she caressed her flat waist, while Ginevra and Mr. Snape exited the bedroom.

“How are you feeling, Milady?” Mr. Snape enquired in a bored tone of voice as they walked along the hallways. Ginevra turned her head to study the dark figure beside her. The man was very tall and a little thin, his hair was long and very dark, his pale skin made his obsidian eyes stand out and his nose was a little on the large side. Still, his eyes showed a great curiosity in everything that surrounded him and it was easy to see he was a very controlled and intelligent person. According to her brothers, he was a greasy-git who lived to make Gryffindors suffer, but Ginevra would have given anything to be his student in one of his Potions Classes at Hogwarts.

“I'm feeling well, Mr. Snape and I would like to thank you for helping me when I ran out of energies.” She replied gently. “I'm not sure if I have all of my powers back, but I feel well.”

“Prince Draco told me about your interest in magic.” He commented, looking at her through the corner of his eye.

“Yes, I have a big interest in magic. My favourite subjects are Transfiguration and Potions, and although I had the opportunity to brew a few of the simplest potions at home, I couldn't do the harder ones, that require spells, and I couldn't perform transfigurations because I don't have a wand…” she explained excitedly, noticing the interest and surprise showing on his usually unreadable face.

“You've brewed potions at home, with no supervision of a teacher? And which potions did you brew, if I can enquire?” he asked curiously, slowing down his pace now that they had reached the front doors.

“When my brothers came home on school breaks I usually stole some ingredients from their potions' kits, and when they went back to school I waited for my mother to visit some neighbour and I would brew the potions I thought were the most interesting, like Polyjuice Potion, Calming Potion, Healing Potion, Draught of Living Death, and a few others, but the Polyjuice was the one that gave me more problems as I had to keep it hidden for a month. I used to leave my bed twice each night and run to my secret hiding spot to put some more wood in the fire, to keep the cauldron simmering. In the end, I made it and it looked perfect, but I've never tried it, afraid of what the results might be, once I had never been taught to do it.” She explained excitedly, a big grin on her face.

“Milady, you are a young woman full of surprises… I would be honoured to instruct you on how to properly brew a potion.” Mr. Snape said with a small smirk on his thin lips and then chuckled when he saw the happy look on the young woman's face. The chuckle quickly ended when she hugged him tightly, a few happy tears running down her face. He patted her shoulder awkwardly, not knowing how to act in such a situation. Finally she stepped back and grinned brightly at him.

“Thank you so much, Mr. Snape… When can we start?” she asked brightly, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shinning with emotion.

“Soon I'll send you an owl with a date. Have a rest of a nice day, Milady.” He made a small curtsey and quickly walked out of the Palace.

Ginevra was so happy that she threw etiquette to the wind and ran down the hallway, the long skirt gathered in her hands to keep her from tripping. A gale of laughter bubbled in her chest and came out loudly, echoing in the stone hallways, filling the Palace with her happiness.

“Ginevra, what's going on?” the Queen asked with a small smile, as she watched her daughter-in-law running down the corridor, her hair falling down from her hair-do and her face full of tears despite the huge smile that lit her whole face.

“Oh, Mother, such wonderful news!” Ginevra gasped, hugging her mother-in-law. “Harry, ask Parvati to take you to my old bedroom. There you'll find your wife waiting for you with great news.”

Mr. Potter immediately did as she said and walked down the corridor with Parvati. The Queen then ordered Ginevra to tell her the good news.

“Hermione's pregnant; Mr. Snape just confirmed it and he invited me to have lessons in potions' brewing, with him! This is a wonderful day…” she sighed happily, seating down on a chair to regain her breath.

The Queen smiled happily as well and looked at Ginevra with a dreamy look.

“Mother, are you alright?” Ginevra asked carefully when she saw the Queen studying her in a strange way.

“I was only imagining you with a huge pregnant belly… What a lovely image.” The Queen replied, dreamily, but Ginevra just smiled sadly, remembering the one sad part of the whole day. Her husband was angry at her.

Not even the excitement in Mr. and Mrs. Potter's faces, when they prepared to leave to their Manor, made Ginevra smile brightly. Not even the Potions' classes with Mr. Snape made her sad mood lift; she was worried about what Prince Draco would be doing as a revenge for their little fight.

That night she had no appetite for dinner, so, as soon as Parvati helped her out of her dress, Ginevra put on a nightgown and went to bed, lying awake most of the night waiting for her husband to come to bed.

He never did.

<<<<<<<<<<www<<<<<<<<<<

I'm so proud of this chapter, I've been writing for 4 hours and 30 minutes straight when I should be making the last preparations for Tuesday's presentation of my Social Psychology work.

Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, I always get surprised on how many reviews I get with each chapter, it's really really wonderful, so THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter because more this way comes, as soon as I find a little hole in my schedule to write another chapter, alright?

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of love,

Carina (I'm so emotional right now for having so many of you supporting me)

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11. Important information

I know I'm not allowed to write Author's Notes, but it's truly necessary in this case and I'll substitute it as soon as I post a new chapter, all right?

I apologise to all of you, who have been reading this story and are waiting for a new chapter.

No, I won't abandon this fic, but I'll take some time to update it. Why?

For the last few weeks I drove myself crazy doing presentations at school. Last week, the day before my last presentation I had a break down, I started crying for no reason and couldn't stop myself. I thought I was going to asphyxiate because I couldn't breath between sobs.

I'm better now that I cried all my worried, but now, I'm studying like a crazy Hermione.

For the last few days I've spent over 9 hours per day studying for my exams, that's why I'm not writing this fic, right now.

The next week I'll have 3 WORRISOME EXAMS within 4 days, so, you understand why I must study so hard, uh?

I promise you all, that after the 5th of February, you'll have a new chappie, ok?

Well, I hope you're all okay, with the bad weather you're feeling in both USA and ENGLAND.

Here in Portugal we are running out of water, the farm animals are dying without food or water, and we are starting to cut on our water consume.

It hasn't rained in my country for the last 5 months, something very unusual for this time of year, and we are all very worried.

Well, until I update this fic, have fun and don't tire yourselves the way I do.

Love, Carina

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12. Confrontations

Chapter 11 - Confrontations

He didn't come to their bedroom that night, and he didn't come the next ones either. It had been a week since their wedding and for a week, when she woke up, she wasn't sleeping comfortably in her husband's arms, she wasn't feeling warm without his skin next to hers, and she surely didn't feel joyful, despite having just gotten the good news of Mrs. Potter's pregnancy as well as the opportunity that Mr. Snape was giving her.

Ginevra usually remained awake all night, waiting for her husband. They needed to talk and set things between them to rights, but he never came and the fear and pain were consuming her body and soul.

The same thoughts kept haunting her: was he sleeping with a bedmaid? Had he betrayed his promise to be only hers? Was she the one who pushed him away, into the arms of other women?

Although she tried to calm down, the guilt tore at her heart and the tears fell down her cheeks. The first rays of sunshine began to show on the horizon, a few rosy clouds here and there. Knowing she wouldn't be able to sleep, Ginevra left the bed, put on her robe and slippers and walked down the Palace's first floor's hallways.

Everything was quiet, as it was too early for the maids to be working, or the Palace's inhabitants to start their day. For the last week she had been entering all the bedrooms of the first floor, searching for signs of her husband.

In one of those mornings, as she visited yet a few more bedrooms, the swishing of long skirts drew her attention to the grand staircase that led to the ground floor, just as Parvati appeared on the landing, holding a few towels in her arms. As soon as she saw Ginevra standing in the middle of the hallway with puffy red eyes, she ran to the Princess with a worried face.

“Milady, are you feeling well? Is something wrong?” Parvati asked in one breath, dropping the towels she was carrying on a side table.

“I'm alright, Parvati, don't worry, but I need your help… Can you tell me where is Prince Draco's old bedroom?” she asked with a sad face that immediately broke her maid's heart.

“Of course, Milady.”

Quickly, Parvati walked down the corridor and indicated a set of double doors. Stepping aside, she allowed Ginevra to push open the doors, enter and then close it once again, leaving the maid in the corridor.

The bedroom was still immersed in the dark, making it hard for her to see where she was going, but Ginevra made it to the windows, opening the curtains and allowing the weak rays of sunshine to bring some life to the room.

The room was similar to their new one, except the colours in this room were more masculine and the bed wasn't so elaborate. There were a few shelves with her husband's school books, as well as a few others he must have found too interesting to go to the palace's library. The bed was empty, when she had hoped to find him sleeping in it, and there was no evidence of him having been there lately.

She truly had hoped to find him in his old bedroom, alone, but now that she knew he wasn't, the despair began to tear her heart once again. Leaving the bedroom, she found Parvati on the same spot, waiting for her. The maid said nothing, just helped Ginevra go back to her bedroom and helped her prepare for the day. She would be having her first Potions Class with Mr. Snape.

It had been very exciting to work with the older man. He showed great knowledge and a passion for the subject and he managed to infect Ginevra with some excitement, after all those days worrying about Prince Draco. Mr. Snape had given her a class about several potion's ingredients, and at the end of the class, he took the chance to enquire after her husband.

“I don't know where he is… I haven't seen him since the day after our wedding.” Ginevra replied sadly, as she tidied the desk where she had been working, in her husband's adolescence study room.

Mr. Snape stared at her with a scowl on his face, and remained silent, studying her carefully.

“Draco can behave like a child on the most inopportune times… He likes to challenge other people, make them feel guilty over his mistakes. A treat I believe he learned from his father, as Narcissa is not like that at all.” The dark man explained, shrinking his books with a wave of his wand, and placing them inside of his black robes. “I believe he hasn't gone far, Ginevra… I believe you should search for him better and give him a piece of your mind. If it's a challenge he wants, who better than you to give it to him?”

Ginevra just stared at Mr. Snape with a surprised yet thoughtful gaze. He knew her husband better than she did, so, perhaps he was correct in his train of thought. She would search Prince Draco and make him see his mistakes.

She had felt lonely during that week. Mrs. Potter was excited with the news of her pregnancy and was spending as much time with her husband as possible; Lady Sarah had returned to the Palace after a long absence and spent her days keeping company to the Queen. Ginevra felt left out, as it was obvious both women knew each other very well, and talked about things that were not of her interest at all. The King only showed up at meal times, and had never asked about his son. She had thought about asking the King where her husband was, but seeing his malevolent face, whenever he looked at her, she gave up on the idea and spent as much time as possible reading, in the library.

Today, she had gotten up early again, and wearing only her thin white nightgown, Ginevra walked down the stairs, searching for a maid. The best place to search was the kitchen, and that's where she went. Thankfully, the cooker wasn't there, yet, only a maid preparing her own breakfast.

“Good morning.”

The woman shrieked with surprise and turned around to face the intruder, immediately blushing, feeling embarrassed to be in the presence of the new Princess.

“Can I help you, Milady?” she asked, carefully making a curtsey.

“Yes, you can… I want you to take me to … the bedmaid's bedrooms. Make no questions or comments; just lead me there, please.” She requested with a shivering voice. The maid obeyed, quickly leading her Princess down a corridor Ginevra had never seen before.

“The next bedroom is where the bedmaids sleep, and this one is where … the Prince takes the one he has chosen.” The maid explained, pointing at two opposite doors in the corridor. “You won't go in there, will you, Milady?”

“Yes, I'll go in there, and you needn't worry, I won't tell anyone you brought me here. Go to the kitchen and pretend you know nothing about my little adventure…” Ginevra ordered with a gentle smile, and remained silent, watching the maid go down the hallway as quickly as her steps could take her. Then, taking a deep breath, Ginevra faced the closed doors that led to the bedroom where the Prince could enjoy other women's company.

Jealousy, anger, hate, sadness, passion… all these feelings filled her heart, giving her the strength and courage to push the door open and step inside.

Just like in the Prince's old bedroom, there was no light allowing her to see her surroundings, except for the outlines of the windows, where the sunlight peeked through the thick curtains.

Being careful to make little noise, Ginevra walked to the windows and opened just a little of the curtain. Just enough to see through the darkness and then, she wished she hadn't done that. There, on the huge bed was the outline of two bodies under the bed sheets.

Tears already in her eyes, her hands shaking nervously and anger searing through her blood, Ginevra approached the bed and slowly lowered the sheets, just enough to see the bed occupants.

Her husband was sleeping on his stomach, arms under his head and obviously sleeping soundly. By his side was one of the bedmaids. She had red-ish brown hair, a small pale face with rosy lips and no freckles blemishing her beautiful features. The young woman was sleeping on her side, facing the Prince, and she was obviously naked under the sheets, as it was possible to see the outlines of her lean body.

Ginevra dried her eyes, took a deep breath and approached the bed, and trying to keep calm, as the bedmaid had no fault over the Prince's behaviour, she gently shook the young girl awake.

Almost immediately, two large blue eyes stared at Ginevra in shock and embarrassment. Before the girl started talking and woke up the Prince, Ginevra placed a hand over the girl's mouth.

“Shh… Don't say anything, understand?” Ginevra whispered gently and the girl nodded, sitting against the bed's headboard, the white sheet covering her naked body. “Are you well? Did he hurt you?”

“No, Milady, he…” the girl whispered back, shyly.

“Shh… I'm sorry for my husband's actions. You don't deserve to be treated like this. Go to your bedroom and have some rest.” Ginevra ordered gently, turning around to give the girl enough privacy to put on her black lace night shirt.

After the girl left, Ginevra took a deep breath, searching for the fiery temper she was known for. So many times had she yelled and screamed at disgusting men who tried to touch her; so many times had she fought with her brothers over foolish things… but now… she just couldn't gather enough energy to yell at her husband, the man she was growing attached to.

He was beautiful, his mouth was talented, as well as his hands; he seemed to be very intelligent, but he could be so cruel, when he felt threatened.

`Does he feel threatened by me?' she asked herself, carefully seating on the bed, next to him, studying his features, his soft hair, his gorgeous body. `Julie, my dear sister-in-law, you were completely correct when you said that marrying beautiful men was a bloody pain in the ass…'

Patiently, Ginevra waited for her husband to wake up, and when he finally began to stir, she placed a blank mask over her face.

Prince Draco moaned softly and released his arms from the weight of his head and then stretched them out to his sides, searching for his lover's warmth. When he felt her legs, instead of her waist, his eyes snapped open and Prince Draco came face to face with his wife.

For a few moments they just stared at each other, studying the other's reaction, but said nothing.

“What are you doing here?” he growled, sitting up against the headboard, not bothering to cover his naked torso. He was such a beautiful sight, but Ginevra put those thoughts away and just stared at him, right in the eyes.

“I just came searching for my husband, what else?” she replied calmly, trying to keep the anger at bay.

“Well, you've found him. Leave…” he commanded, stepping out of bed, gloriously naked and walked to the window, pushing the curtains aside, to allow the sunlight to fill the bedroom.

“Why are you acting like a prat? Do you feel menaced by me? By our marriage? Am I scary?” she asked angrily. “Or can't you just spend the rest of your life sleeping with the same woman? Do you need variety in your bed?”

Prince Draco turned around to look at her, his eyes burning with anger and his face distorted in a scowl.

“Leave, now!” he commanded again, fiercer this time.

“No, I won't leave and you will listen to me!” she snapped back at him, stretching over the bed to grab his wand from the bedside table. She was now armed and he would have to listen to her. “On our wedding you promised faithfulness, you promised to protect me; and what have you done that same night? You fulfilled your obligations by taking my virginity away. I gave myself to my husband, that night, hoping that he would realise that he didn't need any other women but me, that we could learn to enjoy each other…”

Prince Draco just stared at his wife from the window, his arms crossed over his chest and his arousal quite evident. But, why was he so aroused? She was yelling at him, with his wand in her hands, ready to hex him if needed…

“What happened that morning was a foolish fight, I apologised for my words and still, you couldn't accept my apologies. Why? Are you that implacable?” she carried on, trying to ignore his lower body parts. “You took my innocence, but you did it because I gave myself to you, freely, because you are my husband. I can't forgive you for taking away these girls' innocence, against their will. I can't forgive you for belittling these girls' wills, just because you want to get laid. You have a wife for that!”

“Jealous, are you?” he sneered, completely destroying her whole speech.

Her husband didn't want to hear reason, he just wanted to make fun of her, make her feel guilty and confused. He was so deceiving…

Ginevra didn't answer; she simply threw his wand on the bedcover and got up on her feet, brushing a few strands of her red hair away from her now pale face, keeping her eyes glued on the rumpled bed sheets.

“Mrs. Potter is pregnant and Mr. Snape offered me his services as a Potions' Teacher. I had my first class with him just yesterday… Your mother has been asking for you, she missed your presence, despite Lady Sarah's return. That's all you've been missing…” she said in a whisper, turned around and walked to the door, to go back to her bedroom… their bedroom.

Just as Ginevra reached the door, she heard his voice whispering a spell and the door became locked. Turning around, she saw her husband sitting on the bed, wand in hand and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Not so fast, dearest wife… You've said what's on your mind, but I didn't get my chance.” He said in a seductive voice that made her knees tremble and her heart beat race. “First of all, I hold no interest in Potter's life; I can only say I hope I won't have to endure their brat's presence…”

“Typical male… They say they hate kids, but as soon as they see one, they behave like fools and want one of their own.” Ginevra chuckled, leaning against the door with a smile on her lips.

“I don't think that's the case… Secondly, women can't have access to magic, so you'll stop those classes right away.” He finished smugly, completely sure that she would be begging at his feet for his authorization. He was wrong…

“Potions don't require magic, Draco.” She grinned, daring him to find another justification.

“You are not allowed, that's final… Thirdly, I will see my mother when the time comes, until then, she'll have to wait.” He replied, walking slowly towards his wife, rolling his wand in his hands.

“Are you scared, husband? Are you afraid of what your mother will say about your escape?” Ginevra teased, as he came to stand right in front of her, looking right in her eyes.

“And last, but not least, you needn't feel jealous…” he ignored his wife and kept baiting her, wanting to face her temper. When she was furious he knew how to handle her, he knew how to silence her, but when she behaved this way, challengingly, sure of herself, teasingly, he seemed to loose his power over her, he seemed to be the prey instead of the hunter. It aroused him to no end.

After remaining calm all this time, Ginevra finally felt herself grow nervous, shy and sad. He had touched the weakest link of her heart… Jealousy of him with other women, the women she had unwillingly chosen for him.

“You've said what's on your mind… May I leave now?” she asked politely, trying to keep her jaw from trembling too much. It wouldn't be good to show him her weakness and have him exploit it, for his benefit.

Prince Draco chanted a simple `Finite Encantatem' and released the spell on the door, but just as his wife prepared to exit, he trapped her between his body and the door, their upper bodies in full contact, their breathing slightly rapid.

“Don't ever enter this room again, no matter for how long I've been gone and no matter whom I've been with… This is a place where I can meet my bedmaids, not my wife. If I wanted to have you, I would have been in my bedroom, all along.” He whispered against her lips, their eyes still locked, and then he kissed her forcefully in a kiss that spoke of frustration, despair, hunger and passion.

Ginevra had wanted this sign of affection all week long, and like a drowned woman, she allowed herself to breath in the passionate kiss, enjoying as much as she could the taste of his lips, the feel of his skin against hers, the scent that was so his, so unique. Moments later he broke the kiss, his forehead resting against hers, their mouths brushing against each other as they breathed in a fast intimate rhythm.

“Now, will you obey and leave, once and for all?” he asked, stepping away from her to return to the bed, leaving her leaning weakly against the door, her knees too wobbly to move.

Not knowing what else to say and feeling, once again, too confused with her husband, Ginevra left the bedroom and slowly went back to their bedroom, thinking about his words.

`If I wanted to have you, I would have been in my bedroom, all along…'

So, was that the reason why he preferred the bedmaids? His wife wasn't good enough for him? Ginevra wasn't what he wanted in a woman? Well, those were thoughts she hadn't considered, and they hurt her deeply, but she would pay them no mind… for now. At least, she had found her husband, had seen he was in good health, had spoken her mind and now, it was all up to him, what came next in their marriage.

The feeling of experiencing something beautiful, when you're alone, can make you feel powerful, fulfilled that you've done something on your own, but that feeling can be so much stronger, so much bigger when you share that special thing with someone that you care about…

At the moment, walking all alone on the Palace's gardens, Ginevra wished she had someone there, by her side, to share the beautifulness of it all. Unfortunately, Queen Narcissa had left the Palace in Lady Sarah's company, the King… well, she didn't care much about him, truth be said, Parvati had chores to do, Mrs. Potter wasn't coming to the Palace anytime soon and her husband was probably in the bedmaids' room, doing Merlin knows what and with whom.

Slowly, she passed yet another bed of flowers, enjoying the mixture of aromas and colours, the damp grass under her naked feet and the shy sun warming her cheeks. The autumn was beginning, and she loved the smell of the cold wind, bringing the different scents scattered around the garden, the leaves starting loose their green and the strong smell of wet hearth remembering her why she loved this season.

Far away she could hear the sound of horses running and she allowed her thoughts go back to the night when she had helped her husband and Luar to give birth to a small colt. How was the little horse? Had Prince Draco named him, already? What had he named it? She could only promise herself to one of those days go to visit Luar and her baby, and try to find out his name.

Taking a deep breath to make her sadness go away, Ginevra promised herself to spend these lonely times, and there would probably be many in the future, on her fight to make women have the right to use magic and have a magical education. Her first goal to achieve would be a visit to Headmaster Dumbledore at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She had always wanted to visit her brothers' school, so full of wonderful mysteries and funny stories, and the place where she would likely find the support she needed.

Feeling slightly better, now that she had a strategy outlined, Ginevra spent the day reading a few books in the Sitting Room and it was late when she went to her bedroom, where Parvati waited for her, to help her out of her dress.

“Do you want me to comb your hair for you, Milady?” the young maid asked gently, as she slid the white nightgown down Ginevra's body.

“No, thank you, Parvati, I'll do it myself… Tomorrow morning, when you wake me up, bring me an owl, if you please. I need to send a letter.” Ginevra ordered, removing the pins that held her hair up and sat at her vanity table. As she started combing her long hair with smooth strokes of the comb, she turned around to face her maid with a mischievous look on her face. “Parvati, is it true that I can leave the castle to visit the kingdom?”

“Yes, Milady, you can… What are you thinking?” Parvati smiled as well, wanting to see her Princess smiling once again, after a whole week filled with sadness.

“I want a carriage prepared, before lunch time… I'll go visit my parents tomorrow, you'll come with me, of course, and we'll have lunch there. I must warn my mother, so, please, bring two owls instead of one.” Ginevra said excitedly, her eyes shining with happiness and her skin glowing healthily under the candles' light.

“Of course, Milady…” Parvati replied, just as the bedroom door was violently opened and thrust against the wall. In came a very angry Prince Draco, his white shirt opened up, showing his pale muscular chest, his hair dishevelled and a huge scowl on his face.

“OUT!” he yelled at Parvati, whom immediately ran away from the room, closing the door behind her.

“You didn't have to be so brute with her, she's here to help, you know?” Ginevra complained, still brushing her hair as if she didn't care if he were there or not, although she was extremely happy he had decided to come back to their bedroom… to their bed.

Prince Draco didn't reply, preferring to rip the shirt away from his body, as if it was scorching his skin and did the same with his boots. Only in his trousers he came to the vanity table and furiously taking the comb from his wife's hands, he threw it against the windows of the balcony doors, causing a rain of glass to fall on the wooden floor of the bedroom.

Ginevra stared at him in shock as he grabbed her arm angrily and made her stand up to face him, eye in the eye.

“Draco?”

“SHUT UP!” he yelled, silencing her immediately, but keeping his hands holding her arms in a bruising way. “What have you done to me? Have you been practising magic, behind everyone's backs?”

“What are you talking about?” she whispered softly, afraid of his next violent reaction. She had no idea of what he was talking about, but it scared her to no end to see her husband acting in such an uncontrolled way.

Angry at her response, angry to see her so scared, angry at himself for scaring her this way, Draco pushed her away, as if the touch of her skin could burn him. The push almost ended up positioning her on top of the shattered glass, but Ginevra stepped aside to avoid them and then looked at her furious husband once again.

“For the first time EVER, I left a gorgeous girl unattended…” he growled, taking a step towards her, which made her take a step back, away from him, but he kept on coming closer and she kept on walking away until she was, once again, trapped between her husband and the wall. “Thinking that, perhaps, I was too tired, I came back home, I chose a bedmaid, but the same thing happened… no reaction. Me, Draco Malfoy, Prince of Birmingham's Kingdom, well known women lover, couldn't get aroused!”

As he said this, in obvious anger and self-loathing, Prince Draco began to rub his quite obvious arousal against her hips. There seemed to be no problem with his ability to get aroused.

“Night after night, I've tried to pleasure myself in the arms of other women, and night after night, I've failed to do so… And then, you show up in that bloody bedroom, wearing this same hideous white nightgown, with your fiery red hair hanging down your back, looking like the picture of innocence, and my body reacts this way!” he yelled at her, making her close her eyes with the power of his anger, but she remained silent, waiting for his next move. “What love spell have you placed on me? I want it removed…”

Ginevra's eyes opened wide in shock, after hearing all his confessions. He was furious, because she aroused him, and no other woman could do so, anymore… Calmly, and a bit apprehensively, she raised her right hand to caress his face, soothing his angry features back to normalcy.

“There is no spell involved, other than the power of your own mind over your bodily reactions, and I'm glad you've finally grown a conscience. You may feel awful for loosing your honourable title of Casanova, but I'm happy to have a faithful husband…” she smiled gently, caressing his lips with her fingertips, his eyes devouring her face, wanting more of her smile.

“Only you could find a positive aspect in all of this.” He growled before he took her mouth with his in a passionate, strong kiss. He kissed her with all the sexual frustration he had felt over the week, with all the passion he had for his wife, with all the power of the arousal he felt in her presence. He may not understand why he was ruined to other women, but at least, he had a beautiful woman as his wife, that aroused him and pleasured him…

The kiss remained violent, bruising, passionate and hungry as Prince Draco raised Ginevra's long nightgown over her hips and tore away her knickers, making her shriek against his lips in surprise. While she caressed his chest with her gentle, yet hungry hands, Prince Draco unbuckled his belt and opened his trousers, wrapped his wife's legs around his waist and entered her wet core without any preparation, making her yell in pain and a few tears to fall down her cheeks. Knowing he had hurt her, Prince Draco stilled his movements and kissed her teary eyes… She had only had sex once, it was obvious she would still be sensitive to such an act, and here he was, thrusting into her as if she were a common whore.

“I'm sorry, Ginevra…” he whispered against her eyes, his voice showing how honest he was with his feelings and making her feel slightly better.

“It's alright. I understand you're frustrated and slightly angry, but, can we save the wall for a future time? Right now I don't think I can handle anything other than a soft mattress…” she mumbled against the hollow of his neck, kissing the juncture of his neck with his jaw, making Prince Draco tremble like a leaf in the wind.

Gently, he walked then both to the bed, without leaving her warm centre and making her sigh with the pleasure of feeling his weight on top of her. With a fluid movement, Ginevra removed her nightgown, throwing it on the floor, beside the bed, and allowed herself to make love to her husband, enjoying each of his touches. Each of his moans making her feel pleasure all over her body and a small, now familiar, pressure gathering on her belly, making her shiver with his thrusts and move her body to meet his movements.

Eyes locked, silver on gold, legs tangled, tanned with pale, chest to chest, feminine to masculine, mouth to mouth, arms embracing each other's body, they achieved the maximum pleasure one after the other, allowing the overwhelming sensation to fill their beings for the few seconds it lasted and then, a feeling of calm and fulfilment overcame their bodies and mind.

“What is this power you hold over me?” Prince Draco whispered against his wife's mouth, as he kissed her gently, but still passionately, their bodies still joined at their centres.

“I don't know, but I'm glad it's working…” Ginevra replied with a big smile, rubbing her nose against his and kissing him again.

The next morning, she wouldn't be waking up alone… She would have a pair of strong arms holding her close, a familiar body keeping her warm and a feeling of fulfilment all over her.

For the first time that week, Ginevra went to sleep, in her husband's arms, feeling the happiest woman in the world.

------------------------<<<<<<<<<<<<<----------------------

Hello my dearest readers, like I've promised, it's the 5th of February and I'm updating.

I will delete the previous chapter (with my Author's Note) when I finish this story, because if I replace it with a new chapter, you won't be getting my Update Notification, alright?

Well, after my breakdown, I felt a whole lot better, specially after receiving all of your reviews, wishing me to feel better and supporting me. Thank you all for your preoccupation, it meant the world to me to feel cared for, on that moment.

Today I had my third exam, only two more to go, and I'm exhausted,

My first exam went great, last Saturday I got a very nasty FLU and spent the worst 4 days of my life trying to study and trying to breathe at the same time, until I had to stay in bed with a fever. Still I went to school on Tuesday to make my exam, but it went awful. Who can study feeling sick? I can't! My exam today went well, and I'll have to start studying for my next one.

Here is the newest chapter of Conquering a Prince's Heart, and I think Ginevra is doing a good work, so far. He finally gained a conscious, uh?

I'm sending this chappie to my BETA, VioletJersey, today and when it's revised, I'll post it on top of this one, alright?

By the way, thank you VioletJersey for the idea for this chapter. You are a great thinker and I think it worked.

Love, to all of you, both for reading my story and for caring about me.

Carina

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13. The Magic of Hogwarts

Chapter 12 - The Magic of Hogwarts

The next morning, Ginevra woke up feeling happy, the morning light bathing her face; a gentle breeze bringing the garden's scents to her nostrils and the feeling of a warm body against her back… her husband.

Thinking back to the previous night, Ginevra felt surprised with the way she had behaved so passionately, so desperately; but the truth was, she had missed Prince Draco, she had missed the new sensations he had made her feel on their first night together and the previous night, all she had wanted was to feel her husband by her side, giving her some kind of emotional response, showing that he felt something for her, if only lust.

She had been so scared when he had acted so furiously and held her forcefully, but still, he had made her so happy when he confessed his impossibility of being with other women. He was hers, now. No other woman would have him, and that made her relieved and more trusting of her husband.

Slowly turning around to face Prince Draco, his face calm and deep in sleep, Ginevra kissed his lips softly and caressed his features. Sighing contentedly, she carefully left the bed and put on her white silk robe, to cover her naked body. Silently, she sat at her desk and picking up some parchment, ink and quills, prepared to write the letters to both Headmaster Dumbledore and her mother. Things had somehow changed last night, between her and her husband, but still they thought differently, and it would be better if he knew nothing about her plans.

`Dear Headmaster Dumbledore,

First of all, I would like to thank you for performing my wedding ceremony, it was beautiful and you were very pleasant.

I'm writing you to make a request that may seem strange to you, but have no doubt; it's a very serious one. I'm sure you're a very busy wizard, but I need your counsel and your help. Could we meet for this conversation?

Having you come here at the Palace would be an honour, but I really would love to meet you at Hogwarts School. Do you believe it to be possible?

Please, send me your answer as soon as possible and, please; don't tell of this request to anyone. I will explain better if and when we meet.

Thank you for your time, Ginevra Malfoy.'

Quickly, Ginevra rolled the parchment and tied it with a black velvet ribbon. There was one more letter to write.

`Mother,

Hello, how are you? Forgive me if my letter seems rushed and cold, but I'm just writing you to let you know that I'll be visiting you today. Can you set the table for lunch with two extra plates?

Love, Ginny'

Rolling that one, as well, Ginevra hid both letters in a drawer, for Parvati to help her send them later, by owl.

For now, she removed her robe and returned to bed, snuggling under the covers, closer to her husband to draw his warmth. Unfortunately, her icy cold feet bumped his and he woke up immediately with a surprised gasp, but seeing his wife next to him, Prince Draco smiled and drew her closer until their bodies were touching all over.

“Good morning, wife.” He whispered in a sleepy, yet sexy, voice.

“Good morning, Draco. Slept well?” she smiled, running her hands through his silky hair.

“Very well, in fact. I believe it had something to do with the presence of a certain red haired princess…” he joked and then his face became serious and preoccupied. “Did I hurt you last night?”

“Well, it hurt a little when you… you know, against the wall, but then everything became wonderful.” She replied, blushing a deep red. “Don't worry, I'm fine.”

“Good. What are you doing today?” he asked, sitting up in bed and rubbing his face with his pale hands. The bed sheet fell down to his waist, revealing his gorgeous chest and Ginevra couldn't help but study him attentively.

“I'm going to town with Parvati, to visit my family. Do you want to come?” she asked, sitting up beside him, but keeping the bed sheet over her body. It would be great to go to town with her husband, seeing the old streets with him, telling him about the places she knew so well since she was a little girl, but somehow, she doubted he would accept the invitation. He clearly didn't feel comfortable around her family, and there was nothing she could do to stop that. They were very different.

“I have a meeting with my father in an hour and then there are some businesses I must attend to. I won't be able to join you…” he replied, leaving the bed and walked towards the bathroom.

“That's alright.” she replied, just as he was about to close the bathroom door. He looked her way, a small smile gracing his lips and closed the door, shutting her out.

Yes, things between them had changed slightly, last night, but they still had huge barriers between them.

Sighing sadly, Ginevra got up from bed, put on her robe and a pair of slippers to walk over to the balcony doors, where shattered glass covered the floor. Her husband needed to learn to control his fury or someday he would injury someone. Stepping over the glass on the floor, she opened the balcony doors and stepped outside, taking a deep breath and looking to the distance, where the agglomerate of houses indicated the existence of Birmingham's capitol. Below her, in the gardens, several men waved their wands to charm the bushes to stay in shape; they charmed the roses to stay slightly opened and trimmed the grass with quick spells. Magic really was useful and fascinating…

She forgot about time, as she watched the horses trotting around the garden with total freedom. Only when the clouds uncovered the sun, did she wake up from her reverie, enjoying the warmth on her face.

Prince Draco had just finished his shower and, wearing a towel around his waist, he entered the bedroom to choose his clothes for the day. He hadn't expected to find the bed empty… He knew he had been slightly cold to his wife, after the previous night, but he just felt too out of control when he was close to her. Worried about her, he searched the room for her, finding her in the balcony, leaning over the stone railing, her face raised towards the sun and a smile on her lips, as she enjoyed the sunlight. While he studied her, Prince Draco quickly dressed and combed his wet hair.

She was beautiful… Her red hair shown brightly under the bright light, her skin glowed warmly and it was possible to guess her body curves under the delicate white silk of her robe.

Ready to leave, he stepped over the broken glass on the floor and entered the balcony, surrounding her waist with his arms, bringing her closer to his chest.

“Enjoying the sun?” he whispered on her ear, softly kissing her earlobe.

“Uhm…” she moaned, both as an answer to his question and as an answer to his caress. He smelt divine and felt even better.

“Will you join me for breakfast, downstairs?” he asked, while kissing her neck and caressing her belly.

“In a few moments. First, I need to take a bath and get dressed. I'm sure Parvati will be here, any moment now, to help me… Will you wait for me?” she asked, turning around to face her husband and kissed him softly on the lips.

“I won't promise anything… I have to eat quickly to meet my father on time.” He replied with a slight frown and walked back into the bedroom, followed by Ginevra.

“Very well… Have a nice day.” She mumbled, kissing his cheek and stepping away to go to the bathroom. She couldn't help but be sad, although she understood that he had other responsibilities and couldn't spend the whole day with her. “By the way… Have you named the colt, yet?”

“Yes, I've named it Firenze.” He replied, before leaving the room.

“That's a beautiful name, Draco.” She smiled and went back to her daily routine.

As soon as Ginevra finished her bath, Parvati entered her empty bedroom and began preparing her mistress's clothes for the day.

“Good morning, Milady, how are you this morning?” she asked carefully, showing some concern.

“Parvati, I know that last night things looked a bit ugly in this bedroom, but don't worry, everything is fine now. I'm sorry for the way my husband yelled at you.” Ginevra apologised with a small smile and then looked around; searching for the owls she had requested the previous night. “Where are the owls?”

“I ordered them to land on the balcony… Do you wish to send the letters now?” Parvati enquired, pointing to the owls resting on the balcony's railing.

A huge smile spread over Ginevra's face and she quickly tied each letter on an owl's leg and gave them their respective orders. As they flew away in different directions, she hoped everything would work out the way she expected.

After getting dressed and allowing her maid to catch her hair in a French twist, Ginevra went down stairs to the dinning room, where only the Queen and Lady Sarah were still eating. Trying to hide her disappointment over her husband's absence, Ginevra ate her breakfast and decided to go to town right away, instead of waiting for lunchtime.

Ginevra and Parvati entered the same carriage in which the new Princess had been brought to the Palace, with the help of a guard, who immediately took his seat next to the carriage driver.

Just like on the day she had been brought to the Palace, Ginevra couldn't help but look out the window with a huge fascinated smile on her face. It was so different to see the places she knew so well, from a moving carriage. Her eyes moved quickly, trying to take all the details at once, but failing to do so. Instead, Ginevra focused her attention on the people that occupied the streets.

Several men and women stopped their shopping or their activities to stare at the carriage, with fascination, and seeing their new Princess' face, they all smiled and waved enthusiastically. All Ginevra could do was smile back and wave, as well. Oh, how things had changed… from a bare footed and poor unmarried young woman to a fashionable Princess. This was the fairytale her father had told her about so many times, for sure.

Upon arriving at her childhood home, nothing, not even etiquette, could stop Ginevra from jumping out of the carriage and running to her house's front door, calling for her mother. All that noise resulted in a bright eyed and flushed red Molly Weasley running out the door, to gather her daughter in short chubby arms. After Mrs. Weasley came Mr. Weasley and six red haired boys. All her family would be present for this special lunch. And special it was…

The sun was starting to set when Ginevra finally entered the carriage to go back home, a very embarrassed Parvati following her inside the comfortable space. Lunch had been noisy, as it usually was at the Weasley home, Ginevra's beautiful dress of full of stains because she had insisted in helping in the kitchen (Parvati had almost had an heart attack), Ronald and Parvati had spent the entire time looking at each other with bright red faces and the twins had kept on making fun of the young couple. After lunch Ginevra had sat in front of the lit fireplace, next to her father, her head on his shoulder, inhaling his familiar scent that always soothed her.

He had asked her only one question: `Are you happy?' All that she had been able to reply was: `I'm on the right path to be it…'

Just as they said their goodbyes to the Weasley family, Ronald had whispered something in Parvati's ear and she had nodded. She had been bright red in the face since then. But now, with only the two young women in the carriage, Ginevra decided to find out what was going on.

“Ron is a wonderful young man, isn't he?” she asked carefully. Parvati nodded in agreement, but said nothing. “He looked like he was very taken with you…”

“You think so?” Parvati whispered breathlessly, her big eyes pleading for Ginevra to tell her it was true.

“Yes, I think so, and I believe you like him as well… He is a gorgeous Weasley.” Ginevra replied with a mischievous smile. “What did he tell you before we came, that made you so embarrassed?”

“He enquired if he was allowed to court me.” The maid mumbled with a happy twinkle in her eyes.

“You did well in accepting, Parvati. You make a beautiful couple and I would love to have you as a sister-in-law.” Ginevra replied warmly, hugging her maid and friend. “We're here…”

Indeed, they had arrived at the Palace just as the last rays of sunshine disappeared in the horizon. Both young women chatted happily about the day's events as they went to Ginevra's bedroom, ignoring the surprise on the other maid's faces. Was it illegal to be friends with your personal maid and hopefully, future sister-in-law?

Upon arriving to her bedroom, Ginevra immediately noticed an owl perched on her vanity table's chair. Squealing happily, she quickly walked to the bird and removed the parchment from its leg.

`Dear Princess Ginevra,

It was a pleasure to receive your lovely letter and it was even better to find it mysterious. You have a big secret and you want to make me part of it…

I believe you should know that I can't refuse challenges. I love them and I really want to help you in everything I can. There will be a ball at Hogwarts, in two days. We'll be able to speak privately then.

Bring your husband and prepare to enter the magical world that is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Attentively, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore'

“I'm going to Hogwarts…” Ginevra gasped happily, jumping up and down, causing some tendrils to escape her hair-do. “I'm going to Hogwarts and I'll win Headmaster's Dumbledore support…”

Her happiness didn't go unnoticed at dinner.

“Ginevra, dear, you are looking very happy today…” Queen Narcissa commented, unable to keep a smile away from her own face. It was contagious.

“I've spent the day with my family and that made me very happy, Mother.” Ginevra replied, saying half the truth. “Do you know if Draco will be coming for dinner, My King?”

King Lucius just scowled at the plebeian that was now his daughter-in-law and grunted: `I suspect he will.'

Ginevra was telling to the Queen about the events of the day when a very tired looking Prince Draco entered the dinning room, kissed his mother's forehead and his wife's hand, before he sat next to the latter and began eating dinner.

“Are you alright?” Ginevra whispered concernedly, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

“Yes, I just had a rough day, that's all. How was your family?” he enquired politely, not bothering to look at her.

“They are well.” She replied and went back to eating, knowing that she wouldn't be able to get anything else from his mouth, for now. Across the table, Queen Narcissa studied the newly wed couple attentively and when she caught Ginevra's eyes, she raised an eyebrow in question, but the young woman just shook her head, as if saying that nothing was wrong. Things just weren't… right, that's all.

“This afternoon I've received an invitation to attend a ball at Hogwarts School. I won't be going, of course, but I want you represent me, Draco.” The King said in a cold tone of voice. While Ginevra tried to hide her happiness from the others, Prince Draco just groaned unhappily.

“Just what I needed… A long, boring ball, with hundreds of boring people dying to talk with Birmingham's Prince.” He complained, shoving his empty plate aside.

“You'll have your wife to accompany you, and if you wish to avoid all those people, you just have to keep on dancing with her. No one would dare to interrupt you two.” Queen Narcissa offered, smiling at her son.

“As if that made me feel better… Dancing all night, uh?” Prince Draco groaned, staring sideways to his wife, noticing the small smile on her face. “You're dying to go to this party, aren't you?”

“Your choice is my choice. If you want to stay here, we'll stay here, I don't mind.” Ginevra lied once again, and placed a spoon full of pudding inside her mouth, to keep her from saying any more lies.

“Fine, we'll go, but I'm not happy about it.”

`One more victory to me…' Ginevra thought happily.

When the King and the Prince retired to the office, Ginevra and the Queen went to the sitting room and sat in front of the fireplace, on comfortable chaise-longs, reading their favourite books.

“What happened this last week? I barely saw you and Draco…” the Queen asked concernedly, at last.

“We had a few problems but everything's fine, now, don't worry, Mother. We just need some time to get used to the other and this situation.” Ginevra replied gently, closing her book and placing it on the floor next to her.

“Milady, the owls you asked for are already waiting in your bedroom…” Lady Sarah said, entering the sitting room and bowing slightly.

“Of course. I need to send those letters today. Goodnight, my dear.” The Queen whispered, kissing Ginevra's forehead and then, left the room.

The sitting room was in a very comfortable temperature, making its only occupant very drowsy; the only sounds were that of the logs being consumed by the fire and the only light in the room came from the fireplace. Ginevra was asleep when she felt a slightly cold hand caressing her cheeks.

“Ginevra?” a soft male voice called from far away, drawing her closer to consciousness.

“Draco?” she replied, opening her eyes to find her husband sitting next to her, facing her with a small smile on his lips. “I fell asleep, I'm sorry.”

“It's fine. You probably had a tiring day, today…” he replied, sitting against the chaise-long's headboard and drawing his wife's body in front of his, resting her back against his chest and sitting her between his legs. Slowly, Prince Draco snaked his arms around her waist, holding her in place, and buried his face on her neck, enjoying her unique scent.

“Not as tiring as your day. You should be sleeping…” she warned gently, turning her neck to look him in the eye. His silver grey eyes were now the colour of light blue, due to the glow of the fireplace, and his lips looked as soft as ever, calling to her.

“In a few moments… Let's just stay here for a little while. I'm very comfortable.” He replied and with a hand, pressed her head against his chest, running his fingers up and down her neck, in slow, gentle moves, until she fell asleep once more.

^^~~**~~^^

Ginevra was furious, although she tried to hide it. Why couldn't women Apparate, like their husbands did? It was such a quick and clean means of transportation… but no, Merlin forbade if women actually used magic or touched someone using it. So, it was decided that Ginevra would use the Floo Network to arrive at Hogwarts, while Prince Draco would Apparate there.

“Why don't you use the Floo Network as well?” a frustrated Ginevra asked her husband, the day before the ball, while they ate dinner.

“I don't like it, it leaves soot all over my skin and my robes, and I can Apparate.” Prince Draco replied with an evil grin and proceeded to take a mouthful of apple pie. In a few seconds his wife would start showing her frustration. He loved to see her upset.

“Well, you can't get all dirty, but I can, is that it? Fine… I'll use the damn Floo, but you're coming with me.” She replied angrily and muttering a quick `Excuse me' to the King and the Queen, Ginevra exited the dinning room, mid-dinner.

When would these wizards understand how favourable it was for women to be able to use magic? Still angry, she went to her bedroom and lied in her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Tomorrow… She just had to wait until the next day to start her fight.

Exhaling softly, she heard someone entering the bedroom and sitting on the edge of the bed. A warm masculine hand touched her foot and tickled slightly.

“Are you still upset?” Prince Draco's gentle voice whispered, causing a shiver to run down Ginevra's spine. All he had to do was say something, anything, in that voice to make her shiver and swoon at his feet.

“I'm not just upset, Draco, I'm frustrated… Why can't women Apparate, as well? It would be so much easier for everyone! Their husbands wouldn't have to worry about having expensive carriage's and servants to allow their wives to move from place to place; when there was an emergency, women could Apparate to a Healer, or to a safe place… Everything would be so much easier!” Ginevra replied with conviction and then sat up, to look at her husband, who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow. “You're considering what I said, aren't you?”

“I'll think about it… It's unfair to have you arrive at Hogwarts by Floo, on your first visit to the castle. We will arrive by carriage, and you have a wonderful view of the school as we approach. Do you agree?” he proposed, running his hand on her bare leg.

“Yes, I agree, and thank you for re-considering it.” She smiled widely and softly kissed her husband. It was wonderful to finally starting to communicate and achieve agreement. “But, isn't Scotland to far away? We'll never get there by carriage…”

“There are a few things you still don't know about magic, Ginevra… We'll be at Hogwarts right on time, don't you worry…” Prince Draco chuckled, before kissing his wife once more.

He had been correct… There was a lot Ginevra didn't know about magic, specially that it was possible to charm the horses to run so quickly that it almost seemed like the carriage was flying.

With Parvati's help, Ginevra had chosen to wear a beige dress, the cut was similar to her wedding dress' one, excluding the train and the silver embroidering. The corset was very tight, making her waist look thin and her hips curvy, the dress was long sleeved due to Scotland's weather and her shoes were made of the same fabric as the dress. Parvati had caught her hair in an elaborate bun, and on top of Ginevra's head sat her Princess' crown, matching her set of earrings and necklace.

Her husband had complimented her on her beauty and she had returned the complement. As always, Prince Draco was wearing black robes with an intrinsic silvery pattern on the edges of the sleeves and of the robe, his blond hair was shiny and his posture very correct. He was a true aristocrat.

The carriage ride to Hogwarts took no longer than one hour, with the charmed horses, and as they approached a small town, Prince Draco opened the drapes covering the carriage's windows.

“Ginevra, take a look out the window. This village is called Hogsmead, I'm sure your brothers told you much about it.” The Prince chuckled, watching the dark streets, illuminated only by the oil lamps. “And in a few seconds you should be able to see Hogwarts. Ah, there it is!”

Ginevra gasped and stopped breathing altogether. There, right in front of her, was a huge castle, candles' light illuminating its thousands of windows and there was a lake with its water looking very dark, now that the night had fallen.

“It's beautiful…” she gasped at last, reaching for her husband's hand to give a squeeze.

“Yes, it is, but I'm sure you'll prefer the interior. It's full of moving paintings and staircases, secret rooms, charmed ceilings… It's magical.” The Prince replied gently just as the carriage came to a halt in front of the castle's double doors. It was possible to ear the chattering of hundreds of people coming from inside the castle and Ginevra became nervous. The last ball she had been at hadn't gone very well. She could only hope this one would go better.

Holding her husband's arm, they entered the stonewalls of Hogwarts and then they entered the huge room where the ball was being held. As soon as people saw them entering, they curtseyed and stopped talking.

“Welcome back at Hogwarts, Prince Draco, and it's a pleasure to see you again, Princess Ginevra.” Headmaster Dumbledore said happily, his voice echoing in the now silent hall, as he approached the couple.

“Thank you for inviting us, Headmaster. My father was unable to attend, so please, allow me to represent him.” Prince Draco said in a very formal voice, surprising Ginevra, but she remained silent. “Shall we continue the ball?”

“Of course.” The Headmaster replied, looking at Ginevra over his half-moon shaped glasses, his blue eyes twinkling madly. With a nod from his head, the music re-started and the guests went back to dancing.

The Prince and his wife walked around the huge hall, saying their hellos to several people. As they left yet another group of people, Ginevra looked up for the first time and gasped loudly, drawing her husband's attention.

“I was wondering when would you notice the ceiling.” He chuckled, placing an arm around her waist and looking up as well. “It's charmed to show the sky, as it is outside. Beautiful, isn't it?”

“Yes, it is…” she replied, but instead of looking at the ceiling, she was looking at his jaw and bare neck, wishing she could kiss that skin right now. She was woken from her reverie by the arrival of Mr. Zabini.

“Draco, I wasn't expecting to find you here. Milady, it's wonderful to see you, once again.” Mr. Zabini smiled, bowing slightly to kiss Ginevra's hand.

“Thank you, Mr. Zabini. Are you enjoying the ball?” Ginevra replied warmly. She had enjoyed the young man's company at her previous ball, despite the situation she had lived, at the time.

“Not really. How can my parents expect me to find a bride, if there are no young women a these parties?” Mr. Zabini replied with a chuckle and stared at the dancing couples. “Why aren't the two of you dancing?”

“Because you won't stop talking, that's why, Blaise.” Prince Draco replied coldly and proceeded to take his wife to the dance floor. As they started a slow waltz, he kept an extremely tight hold on his wife's waist and glaring over her shoulder, in Mr. Zabini's direction.

”I'm already wearing a corset, Draco. You don't have to hold my waist so tightly… I can hardly breath!” Ginevra complained in a low whisper. Her husband realised his actions and loosened his grip. “Why are they staring at us?”

Only then did Prince Draco notice that, indeed, everyone was staring at them with expectation. But, why expectation? His question was answered as soon as he saw Pansy Parkinson dancing with a young man and directing her partner towards Prince Draco and his wife. Couldn't she just stay away?

“Hello, Draco! I'm glad you came…” Miss Parkinson said in an overly sweet tone of voice, making Ginevra want to vomit.

“Pansy, nice to see you.” Prince Draco replied in a cold tone that made Ginevra grin. Her husband wasn't encouraging Miss Parkinson, which was wonderful.

“Hello, Miss Parkinson. Wonderful ball, isn't it?” Ginevra said sweetly, pressing herself closer to her husband and running her hand over his chest. “Won't you present us your dancing partner?”

“When will you come to the Manor, for a visit? It's been such a long time…” Miss Parkinson continued addressing the Prince, deciding to ignore his wife.

“I have no reasons to visit, Pansy. Have a pleasant evening…” the Prince replied and taking his wife's hand, they walked away, but Ginevra turned her head around and sneered at Miss Parkinson. “He's mine.”

“Why did you say that?” Prince Draco whispered, a small smile on his lips.

“Just wanted to make it clear for her. You are my husband, Draco, and I don't share.” Ginevra chuckled and kissed his cheek lovingly, ignoring the gasps of the other guests.

“Princess Ginevra, could I have the honour of introducing you to Hogwarts?” Headmaster Dumbledore enquired with a small smile on his lips, as he ran his hands down his long white beard.

“I would love to. Draco, may I?” she asked sweetly at her husband.

“I could do that, Headmaster. You don't have to leave the party because of us.” The Prince offered, tightening his grip on his wife's hand, as if afraid to let her go.

“It's no problem, Milord. In fact, Professor Snape asked to talk with you in his private office, and I thought I could keep your lovely wife occupied with our lovely school.” Professor Dumbledore replied with a smirk and, at last, Prince Draco agreed to the arrangements. Quickly, he took his wife a few steps away from the Headmaster and held her against his chest, tipping up her face to kiss her lips softly.

“Don't touch anything you shouldn't and make sure you follow the Headmaster, wherever he goes. It's very easy to get lost in this castle. Make sure you…” he started babbling and Ginevra kissed him again.

“I'm not a child, Draco. Go meet your old Professor.” She smiled and then watched him leave the room, with quick and graceful steps. “Thank you for all of your trouble, Headmaster Dumbledore. This is very important to me: both the conversation and the visit to the castle.”

Two hours later a very happy Ginevra walked side by side with the old Headmaster. They had just finished their visit to the school and their conversation.

Meeting all those places she had heard her brothers talking about had been so wonderful, so special… She would never forget the smell of the school's library, or the view of the Astronomy Tower. She had felt happiness about many things, but this… this was larger than life.

Her conversation with Headmaster Dumbledore had been well succeeded and soon, her plans would be set into action. Finally, her wishes and dreams would come true…

As they started descending the stairs that led back to the Great Hall, Prince Draco showed up at the base with a small grin on his lips, as he watched his obviously happy and beautiful wife.

Ginevra's chest felt like it would burst any moment now and throwing etiquette to the wind, she quickly descended the huge staircase, gathering her skirts in her hands to avoid tripping, and threw herself on her husband's arms.

“What is it? Why are you so happy?” he chuckled, holding her tightly as she kissed his cheek.

“I've just visited the most magical place I've ever been at and I'm a newly-wed. Why shouldn't I be happy?” she explained with a big smile. “Can we visit Hogwarts, sometime soon?”

“It would be an honour to have both of you visiting us. Perhaps for a few days or weeks? That way, you could show your wife all your favourite places in this school, as well as show her your flying techniques.” Headmaster Dumbledore offered with a knowing smirk.

“We'll see… Now, let's go back to the Great Hall and say our goodbyes. It's getting late.” Prince Draco replied, avoiding a definite answer.

After respectfully announcing their leaving, Prince Draco and his wife entered their carriage, and soon, they were crossing the country, on their way to Birmingham's Kingdom.

“How was Mr. Snape? I didn't see him at the ball.” Ginevra enquired with curiosity.

“He hates these social events and never attends them. Professor Snape was feeling well, as he usually does when he's alone and reading a book.” Prince Draco replied with a smirk and then became serious. “He wanted to talk with me about your Potions Lessons.”

Ginevra went pale, her hands tightly gripping her dress and her mouth slightly open. Had her classes been cancelled?

“He told me you were a bright and talented student in Potions, although you needed to learn how to control your enthusiasm… I told him you should stop your classes.” The Prince explained gently, taking one of her hands in his, and caressed it slowly. “You should, but you won't. I know how much this means for you… I saw the way you were smiling after your visit to Hogwarts, and I had never seen you so happy. Like you said, Potions can be a non-magical art, and there's no problem in learning how to brew a few simple potions…”

“Thank you, Draco. I lo… Thank you.” Ginevra cried, placing her arms around her husband's neck to hug him and kissed him passionately. She had almost revealed the way she felt about him, but it was too soon. He needed to learn how to like her out of the bedroom, before she allowed herself to bare her feelings to him. He was slowly starting to understand her ideals and he was trying to accept them, although he was taught otherwise.

`Everything's working out wonderfully…' she thought as she laid her head against her husband's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

^^~~**~~^^

I apologise for not updating sooner, but:

1 - I have been catching up on the time I lost during exams, so I've been going out with my friends at night, during the day I've been going to the gym (exams made me very hungry which equals = fat), and I've been checking out the new collections at clothes stores.

2 - My muse is currently on vacations at the other end of the Galaxy, meaning: every sentence that comes out of my fingers is utter bullshit. This chapter is awful, but consider it a transition to what's happening next.

3 - Sunday was emergency election's day, and right now my country is in a tight hole, but everything will be better soon.

Good news: It's raining again, after almost 6 dry months. Still, it's very cold.

Well, prepare yourselves to the next chapters… I won't say anything else.

I'll try to update faster, now that I'm at home for a while, but first, I need my Muse to come back.

Love, Carina

(Thank you for your lovely reviews.)

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14. Plotting

Disclaimer: Boil Cure Potion was retired from www.hp-lexicon.com and Harry Potter's universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. Well, I wouldn't mind if I had her talent, but hey, I'm trying to write the best I can.

Chapter Thirteen - Plotting

“Milady? Wake up.” A female voice called, while a small hand gently shook Ginevra's arm, trying to wake her up.

“Yes, Parvati?” the sleepy young woman mumbled, throwing a warm arm over her sensitive eyes, to protect them from the bright sunlight bathing the room.

“Prince Draco ordered me to bring you breakfast in bed. He said you'd be too tired to go downstairs…” the maid explained with good humour.

Ginevra could hear her friend walking around the room, picking up the clothes she and her husband had thrown, carelessly, on the floor, the previous night. She was surprised that he wasn't still in bed with her, but surely he had other duties to attend, and in truth, so had she.

Last night had been exciting and emotionally draining.

While the old Headmaster showed her around the school, on several occasions Ginevra found herself imagining her brothers running around those hallways, laughing or even yelling with their friends, as they went to their next class. The moving staircases had made her laugh and the moving portraits had all bowed at her passage. Somehow, they had recognized her as a Princess.

Soon after they began their visit to the castle's hallways, the Headmaster took her to a big room that was immersed in darkness. The only light in the room was very weak one, coming from a fire lit in a large marble mantelpiece. Headmaster Dumbledore waved his wand and the fire became stronger, lightening up the whole room and Ginevra recognized it for what it was… The Library.

Ginevra's eyes welled with tears. The eerie glow of the flames made the Library look sacred, inviting and secretive. This was the perfect place to have her conversation with the Headmaster and, soon, they were both sitting among tall bookshelves, filled with precious tomes, talking about something that could be considered treason. At least, to Birmingham's kingdom.

“Milady, your breakfast is getting cold.” Parvati warned, gently removing Ginevra's arm from her eyes and fluffed her pillows, to help her Princess sit against the headboard. Realising her mistress' nakedness, the maid helped her put on a nightgown and only then did she place the tray over the Princess' lap.

“Did Prince Draco say if he would spend the day in the Palace?” Ginevra asked as she studied her breakfast tray. There were ginger cookies, orange juice, milk, toast and fruit. Too much food for only one person…

“I believe he has left the Palace with the King, milady. Prince Draco only told me to bring you some food…” Parvati smiled, watching Ginevra munch on a cookie. “Milady, may I be impertinent?”

“Parvati, you should have realised, by now, that I consider you my friend. You can ask me whatever you want…” Ginevra chuckled, offering the cookies' plate to her maid and she shyly accepted one.

“Is Hogwarts as beautiful as the guards say it is?” the young woman asked, eagerly.

“No man or woman will ever be able to describe Hogwarts to its full glory, Parvati. It's one of those situations when you have to see it to believe it.” Ginevra replied enthusiastically. “I guarantee you that I cried with its grandiosity…”

“Oh, it sounds so… fantastic!” Parvati replied with a dreamy look on her face, wondering about a big castle, surrounded by a forest and a lake.

“Why don't you ask my brother to take you there? I'm sure he would be delighted to be your guide around the place.” Ginevra proposed with a sly smirk and laughed when Parvati blushed all over.

“Milady, you shouldn't say things like that…” the girl mumbled, ashamedly.

“Parvati, there's no reason for you to feel shy or ashamed. It's so good to see two persons falling for each other, naturally, without a loveless marriage being forced on both of you. I'm sure my brother is very interested in you, and you are taken with him, as well, or you wouldn't have authorized him to court you.” Ginevra reasoned out, holding her maid's hand between her own. “Allow yourself to have some happiness, my friend. I promise you the Weasleys are a very loyal and loving lot.”

“But the castle, unless I'm in your presence, Milady!” Parvati replied, a bright shine in her eyes showing how excited she was with the prospect of a visit to Hogwarts, in the company of the pleasant and gorgeous looking Mr. Ronald Weasley.

“Well, I believe I could give you a day off from your duties… After all, you might be coming down with a cold and I don't want you to pass it on to me.” Ginevra grinned mischievously and sipped her orange juice.

“Milady, I've never met someone so mischievous as you are!” Parvati giggled happily. “I'll do my best to sneeze, whenever possible, and preferably, in front of the right people.”

“Good girl… Don't forget to owl my brother, telling him to spend the day with you, tomorrow.” She replied and got up from the bed with a relaxed sigh. “I'd better get ready for my day… It's going to be a long one.”

“Milady, don't forget about your Potions lesson, after lunch.”

“Oh no, I had forgotten! I had so many plans for today…” Ginevra complained, entering the bathroom with a small pout on her lips.

After taking a warm bath and having Parvati's help to get dressed, Ginevra caught her wavy hair in a long braid, which she proceeded to role on itself, at the back of her head. Finally ready, she went in search of the Queen, while Parvati cleaned her bedroom.

Ginevra found the Queen in her private office, taking care of her official correspondence and talking with Lady Sarah.

“Mother, may I interrupt your work for a few moments?” she asked at the door.

“Good morning, my darling! It's always a pleasure to spend time with you. Come in and have a seat…” the Queen offered and pulled her daughter-in-law for a gentle hug.

Ginevra sat in a comfortable armchair and looked around her. The room was decorated in aqua green wallpaper, with white curtains on the windows and dark tapestry on the floor. The Queen sat behind an elegant desk full of neatly ordered piles of parchment, beautiful quills and several bottles of differently coloured ink.

“What is it that you need to speak with me?” the Queen enquired, her blue eyes shining with curiosity.

“It's a private matter. I would prefer to have this conversation, with you, alone.” Ginevra explained, slightly nervous, looking at Lady Sarah. “I have nothing against you, Lady Sarah, but it is a very important matter.”

The woman just smiled and quickly left the room, leaving both women alone, at last.

“Well, here it goes… I'm putting a few ideas into action, with a few persons' help. My ideas won't make the King happy… In fact, many people will oppose to my plans, but they must carry on. They might even fail, but our kingdom will feel, if even for a short while, that it is possible to change things and make them better.” Ginevra said excitedly and apprehensively, at the same time.

“Ginevra, dear, calm down. You're not making sense! What are you talking about?” the Queen asked, getting suspicious.

“I want to gather a group of high-class women to secretly teach them basic spells, charms and potions, for the duration of one month. I wanted to let you know and invite you to join us, as well. We must help these women protect themselves. I thought about starting with the high-class women and go down the social ladder, until we change the Kingdom's view on the matter and women can finally attend magical schools.” Ginevra said, pacing the room in front of the desk.

Breaking her speech, Ginevra looked at the Queen, waiting for some kind of response, and she got it. Right there, in the Queen's face, was possible to identify apprehension, fear, excitement, admiration, …

“My dear, you'll only get yourself in trouble. You are plotting against the king… Your father-in-law, at that! That's why I must say I cannot join you in your fight… I would be removing the credibility from my husband's authority, and although I support your beliefs, I cannot help.” Queen Narcissa explained gently. “Tell me nothing of your plans, for your sake and, please, be careful… I'm sure you'll succeed.”

“I hope so, Mother. I'm sad I won't have you by my side, but at least I have your silent support… Thank you.” Ginevra whispered sadly, hugging the Queen once again. “I'll see you at lunch.”

As she walked away from the Queen's office, Ginevra couldn't help but be sad. She had truly hoped to have her support, but she understood her reasons.

Still, the fight had to go on, no matter what.

After lunch, Ginevra went to the sitting room, to read for a while, before her lesson with Mr. Snape, when two male voices distracted her. Unconsciously, a big smile spread over her face. Her husband and Mr. Snape were coming her way, pleasantly talking about some potion ingredient.

Ginevra quickly straightened her back and smoothed her dress, just as both men entered the room. One beside the other, one dark the other light, but both were elegant in their movements and both had beautiful hands.

“Milady, it's a pleasure to see you, as always. How are you?” Mr. Snape enquired in his deep tone of voice, but his face showed no emotion.

“I'm very well, Mr. Snape, thank you for asking.” She smiled and then focused on her husband. He was standing against the mantelpiece, hands on his pockets and his silver grey eyes studying her closely. “I didn't know you were in the Palace… Have you had lunch?”

“Yes, mother.” Prince Draco grinned, waving off her concern. “Professor Snape allowed me to assist to your class, today. Do you mind?”

“Of course not!” she replied with surprise etched on her face. She had never expected him to show so much interest in her activities. Apparently, Mr. Snape had a great influence on the young man. “Shall we go to the classroom?”

Elegantly, Ginevra stood from her seat and took Prince Draco's arm. In silence, the three of them walked down the corridor, side by side, until they reached the Prince's old tutoring room.

“Milady, please take your seat and proceed to ignore your husband for the rest of the class.” Mr. Snape ordered with a smirk on his thin lips. Prince Draco just rolled his eyes, playfully, and sat on the window seat. From there he could easily watch his wife, as she worked. “Today we'll work on the Boil Cure Potion. What can you tell me about it?”

“Well, it's a Healing Potion used on people who have been hexed with the Furnunculus Spell. Its ingredients are dried nettles, crushed snake fangs, stewed horned slugs and after the potion becomes light blue, we remove the cauldron from the fire and add porcupine quills.” Ginevra explained calmly, trying to say everything she knew without making a mistake. “If we add the last ingredient before the cauldron is taken off the fire, the potion will become a strong acid and destroy everything it touches, including the cauldron, the table, the floor… Everything.”

Mr. Snape remained silent, his face set in a scowl as he looked at her, making Ginevra feel very insecure of her self. Both men were staring at her, saying nothing and she felt ridiculous. At least they could tell her what she had said wrong, right?

“That is correct.” Mr. Snape replied at last, smirking when he heard Ginevra's loud sigh of relief. “Proceed to brew the potion. And be careful! I will not have cauldrons melting in this room…”

Ginevra forgot the world for the next few hours, concentrating only in preparing the ingredients and adding them to the potion, as needed. She never noticed the surprised, yet proud, looks her husband gave her, as he talked with Mr. Snape.

“Do you realise, now, why I couldn't allow you to forbid these lessons, Draco?” the Potions Master said in a low murmur, so that only the Prince could listen. “Look at her! I've taught each class of dunderheads for seven years and very few showed her talent and her easiness in brewing. With the proper education she could become a good Potions Mistress.”

Draco just nodded his head in understanding, returning his gaze to studying his wife's concentrated face and delicate, capable hands.

“She's quite a woman, isn't she? Always full of new ideas to improve the Kingdom, always trying to make a difference…” the Prince smiled, lost in thought. “On several occasions I've found myself wondering if she's right. Would it really be better for everyone if women were allowed to learn magic? Would it be safer? Would there be more progress? I don't know what to think anymore…”

“Well, I can only advise you to seek the answers to your questions, by yourself. You are a Prince, are you not? Then, speak with your people, gather opinions, evaluate them and decide what you truly believe.” Mr. Snape replied calmly, yet forcefully. “Don't make the same mistakes of your ancestors. They have accepted the laws without ever questioning their validity. Prove that you have a brain, boy! Prove that you can be a better King, than all of the previous Malfoys.”

Prince Draco nodded with determination in his eyes and shook his ex-teacher's hand. With careful steps, he stood behind his wife and kissed her neck lightly, causing her to gasp in surprise. She had been too immersed in her work to notice someone creeping up on her. Prince Draco just kissed her neck, once again, and whispered a `See you later' before leaving the room. He had a lot to think about, at the moment.

Ginevra's potion turned light blue, soon after her husband left. Carefully, she removed the cauldron from the flame and stirring slowly, added the porcupine quills.

`Perfect!' she smiled happily, seeing the liquid become darker.

As soon as Mr. Snape left the Palace, giving her a small compliment on her work, Ginevra found that she still had a few hours before dinner. Just enough time to have a last meeting for the day. In half an hour she was inside of a carriage, accompanied by Parvati, and heading towards Potter Manor.

After a short ride, the carriage stopped in front of a large house, made of light grey stone, with several balconies full of flowerbeds that gave the house a romantic look.

`That must have been Hermione's idea.' Ginevra smiled, amusedly.

There was a simple, yet gorgeous garden, surrounding the house and a path, made of stone that led to the white entrance door. Soon after Ginevra knocked on the door, a maid opened it with a curtsy.

“Good afternoon. Is Mrs. Potter at home?” Ginevra asked, feeling uncomfortable with the situation. The maid still hadn't straightened up from her bow, and apparently, wouldn't be doing so, any time soon.

“Yes, My Princess… Please, come in and wait while I inform Mrs. Potter of your presence.” The maid said in a shaky voice, finally straightening up her back to allow entrance to the guests.

As soon as the maid disappeared behind a door, Ginevra looked at Parvati with a nervous glance.

“Must she act so strangely? One would think I was about to eat her, or something!” Ginevra mumbled.

“Its protocol, Milady. You are our Princess, our superior, and we must act in accord to your position. That is why she bowed so low, for such a length of time…” Parvati explained quickly, with a small smile on her lips.

“Oh, alright then.” Ginevra sighed, but she still felt uncomfortable. Looking around her, she admired the high-ceiled hall, made of sculpted white marble.

“Ginevra, what a surprise!” she heard Mrs. Potter say in excited tones, and turned around to greet her with a smile.

“Hello, Hermione! I'm sorry I came here without previous warning, but I couldn't hold this conversation until tomorrow.” Ginevra explained, giving a small hug to her friend. “Are you busy or can we talk?”

“I'm never busy for you. Come, Harry and I were reading a little, before the evening meal.” Mrs. Potter explained excitedly, pulling Ginevra by the hand, towards a door near the entrance hall.

“Milady, do you need me?” Parvati asked, unsure of what was expected of her. “My cousin works here and I haven't seen her for a while…”

“Then go ahead and have a good conversation with her... I won't need you, for now.” Ginevra replied with a smile and followed her friend inside of a beautiful sitting room.

“Milady, it's a pleasure to receive your visit at our home…” Mr. Potter greeted, kissing her hand and leading her to a sofa.

“Thank you, Mr. Potter… Harry. I'm sorry for interrupting your reading, but I needed to talk with Hermione.” Ginevra explained, looking nervous, now that she was here.

“I believe I'll leave you both alone, then.” Mr. Potter said with a bright smile that reached his green eyes and prepared to leave the room.

“Harry, please, could you stay? I'm not sure of what your reaction will be, but I need your help, if you'll accept to give it to me.” Ginevra said quickly and relaxed when he took a seat next to his wife, both their faces looking curious.

“Ginevra, what's going on?” Mrs. Potter enquired gently.

“I'm trying to gather several women from the high-class to form a class. For the duration of one month they would learn basic spells, charms and potions. By the end of that time, if they were successful in their learning, we would then try to teach lower-class women. If they were successful as well, then we could try to fight the law that stops women from having a magical education. We would have proofs that women are magical people, as well! When other women started seeing the ones we taught truly had powers, they would start fighting for the same rights… A whole revolution would take place, and the law would have to be changed!” Ginevra explained quickly, ignoring her listeners' shocked faces. “I came here asking for your help. Hermione, I need your help because you're a very intelligent woman and you know more people from high-class, than I do. Harry, I wanted you to help us teach those women…”

Mr. and Mrs. Potter stared at each other and remained speechless. Finally, Mr. Potter snapped out of his trance and focused on Ginevra, with a serious look on his face.

“Milady, are you sure you want to do that? It is treason! How can you cause a revolution against your own husband's father?” he asked gravely.

“We should worry about the well-being of our Kingdom's inhabitants and not about our King's feelings! Think about the good it would bring our Kingdom if women were allowed to be what they are… witches! Women could start working on better jobs, guaranteeing better income to their families, they could produce better work with their wands, they could protect themselves from violence, they could brew their own healing potions, they could bring new ideas to our Kingdom and help it go further. There's so much women can do, but they are not allowed!” Ginevra said fervently, pacing the room as she revealed her ideas. “They are worried about women being rapped… They would be able to prevent it if they could hex the attacker! When a child is sick and the husband isn't at home, women often have to leave their child alone and go in search of a Healer… If they could Apparate, they would immediately take their child to a Healer! Hell, we even need a better Health System! There aren't enough Healers for such a large Kingdom and the ones we have usually don't attend lower class families, because they can't afford the medical services…”

“Ginevra, calm down, you're getting too nervous… Take a deep breath.” Mrs. Potter gently placed a soothing hand on her friend's shoulder, leading her back to the sofa.

“I've seen several children in my neighbourhood disappear, Hermione. One day we would be playing around in the dirt and the next day, they would disappear. Several times, I asked my mother what had happened to them and she always told me `They went to a magical place, Ginny.'” Ginevra whispered, trying her best not to sob. Her emotions were too out of control at the moment and before she knew it, there were tears running down her face. “So many times I whished I could go to that magical place, as well… Until the day I finally understood what had happened to them. They died, Hermione… They died because their families couldn't afford a Healer. Thankfully, no one in my family ever had a serious disease, or we would all be dead by now…”

Mr. Potter rose from his seat and came to sit next to Ginevra, placing his hand on one of hers. He took a deep breath and met his wife's sad eyes, knowing what he had to do.

“We will do everything we can to change that situation, Ginevra… Let's begin the biggest revolution that Birmingham's Kingdom has ever seen.” Mr. Potter said in a gentle voice, causing Ginevra to start crying, once again. This time, they were happy tears. There was still a chance of changing this kingdom's unfair laws and she would have Mr. and Mrs. Potter by her side.

“Have you told Draco?” Mrs. Potter carefully asked, already knowing the answer to that question.

“Oh, Hermione, so many things happened since I got married… There were a few problems, but now we are on the right path. He's starting to accept me and I'm doing my best not to make him feel uncomfortable.” Ginevra explained with a small smile. “He's starting to accept my ideas, but he's not ready yet to start plotting against his father. In fact, I believe he would never do that, no matter what his beliefs were… Can we keep this a secret?”

Both Potters nodded their heads in silent agreement and Ginevra smiled.

“Queen Narcissa is supporting us, but not openly, due to her high position… I'm going to request Mr. Zabini's help, tomorrow. Yes, I know he's my husband's best friend, but I'm sure I can trust him… If he accepts, he'll help Harry teach our ladies.” Ginevra explained, taking a deep tired breath. “Another plan is already in motion, but no one will know about that one, besides me and another person.”

“Ginevra, what other plan is this?” Mrs. Potter asked with worry and suspicion in her voice, her eyes slightly narrowed.

“Soon you'll know, dear friend. Don't worry about it, it's perfectly safe…” Ginevra replied with a mischievous grin.

“Be careful, Ginevra, you're playing with a very dangerous fire… Make sure you don't get yourself burnt.” Mr. Potter warned with worried green eyes. “I admire your determination and your ideals, but make sure you don't sacrifice everything that you have, for the greater good of the whole kingdom.”

“Thank you for your concern, Harry…” Ginevra replied gently. “Could you make a list of the women we could easily approach at a social tea party, Hermione? And we need to find a way to silence the women, making sure they won't tell anyone about what we had said at that gathering…”

“I have the perfect spell, Ginevra, don't you worry about it.” Mr. Potter said with a big laugh. “We'll make a list of everyone you can easily approach.”

“Thank you, once more, for your care and help. I'm sure we'll succeed.” Ginevra sighed, standing up and preparing to go back to the Palace.

“Goodbye, my friend, make sure you don't get yourself in too much trouble. I'll visit you at the Palace, tomorrow, to start planning. When I get home I'll tell everything to Harry, so that people won't get suspicious of our meetings.” Mrs. Potter explained, leading her friend to the entrance hall, where Parvati was already waiting for her.

“Goodbye, Hermione and Harry. Have a rest of a good evening and make sure to take good care of that baby…” Ginevra chuckled as she left the house and quickly entered the carriage.

Seeing that her mistress was unusually quiet, Parvati made no comments and asked no questions. Soon enough they were back at the Palace and Ginevra went to bed without having dinner.

After having had a Potions Lesson for two hours and having had an emotionally draining meeting with the Potters, she was ready to fall asleep. Parvati quickly helped her remove her clothing and then to dress her nightgown.

Soon enough, Ginevra was inside her bedcovers, in a deep peaceful sleep. Still, she woke up when she felt the bed shift under another person's weight and opened her eyes to watch her husband struggle with the bedcovers. When he finally won the fight and laid his head on the pillow, he found a pair of gorgeous brown eyes studying him.

“Hello, there. I thought you were asleep… Are you feeling well? Parvati said you wouldn't be coming down for dinner.” Prince Draco asked with concern in his voice, as he laid on his side, to face his wife.

“I was feeling tired, that's why I came to bed early. Did you have a nice day?” she asked gently, not sure of what to say to him at the moment.

“Yes, it was fine, but I'm tired and tomorrow I have to get up early to meet the Head of the Royal Guards…” he replied with a sigh, placing an arm around her waist to draw her closer to his chest. Ginevra snuggled closer to his warm body, burying her face against the hollow of his neck and placed a kiss right bellow his ear, making him moan softly.

“Goodnight…” she mumbled, before falling back asleep, surrounded by his familiar and pleasant scent.

Prince Draco remained awake for a little while longer, feeling his wife's soft breath brushing his neck and caressed her back with his free hand. She had occupied his thoughts for the whole afternoon… He still hadn't found all the answers he was looking for, but he was on the right path.

`How have you done it, my wife? You've got me daydreaming about you, questioning my kingdom's laws and admiring your intelligence, all at the same time.' He thought, kissing the top of her red head, before finally falling asleep, as well. He still had hundreds of people to talk to, around the kingdom, if he wanted to find out what was best for everyone.

*********

Ugh, I'm tired… I've been writing this chapter for the last 3 hours and, finally, it's ready.

The plot is thickening, ah ah!!! Can you tell what the other plan and who the other person is? I'll be waiting for your guesses…

Second Semester at school started yesterday and already I have 6 school works to make… Merlin help me survive two more years at University.

I'll try to update very soon, alright? Until then,

Love, Carina

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15. Prelude to a Fight

Disclaimer: Harry Potter's universe belongs to J.K. Rowling. Well, I wouldn't mind if I had her talent, but hey, I'm trying to write the best I can.

Chapter Fourteen - Prelude to a Fight

How could she have changed so much, in such a short period of time? From mischievous and occasional liar (to protect her own hide, most of the times), she had turned into a big liar who was betraying her husband and his family.

Ginevra wasn't sure on how to feel about her betrayal. Yes, she was proud that she was finally taking serious decisions to help women achieve their independence. Still, betraying her new family was not a reason to be proud.

There were two sides to the same matter… It made her feel happy for fighting and sad for lying to her husband. She was excited with the way things were happening and, at the same time, extremely scared of how her husband and his father would react when they found out she was the `brain' behind the whole thing. She shivered just from thinking about it.

Would the King order her death? Would he arrest her and end her marriage to the Prince? There were many possibilities, but one thing she knew… When this fight came into daylight, Ginevra and Prince Draco would no longer be together.

About this matter, she had no problems describing how she felt… She had come to love the man who held her in his arms, in front of the lit fireplace, as they talked about their childhoods and daily lives. She had come to love the man who had made her feel the biggest pleasure she had ever known. How could she not love the man who had dedicated his whole being to help a mare give birth to a beautiful creature, when he had done so with a smile on his face and gentleness in his hands?

Yes, she loved her husband even after what had happened with Miss Parkinson and the Bedmaids. But now, he finally seemed to be starting to feel something for his wife. Prince Draco was slowly opening himself to Ginevra, he allowed himself to caress her openly, he spent time with her and even listened to her ideals with an interested look on his face. He even allowed her to continue her Potions Lessons! How could she forget that?

And now, here she was in her husband's arms, feeling his tight hold on her waist, the pressure of his chin against the crown of her head and his male scent invading her nostrils, from where her face was buried on his neck.

She felt guilty, once more… Now that things were starting to look good, for both of them, she was doing everything she could to ruin it.

Sighing sadly, Ginevra looked into the darkness that bathed the bedroom. It still was too early for sunrise and there were no lit candles in the bedroom that could allow her to observe her husband's features. There was only one choice… touch.

Removing her arm from under the warm blankets, Ginevra raised her hand to softly touch his face. She managed to find his hair first and from there she searched his forehead, his nose and finally his soft warm lips. She absolutely adored his lips, specially when they where kissing her or smiling at her.

Ginevra shrieked in surprise when the lips beneath her fingers opened up and teeth caught them in the warm and moist cavern. He was awake…

“Draco? I'm sorry if I woke you up… Release my fingers and go back to sleep.” She whispered, slightly raising her head although she still couldn't see him through the darkness. The Prince's hand came up to catch her hand in his and released the fingers from his mouth.

“I'm not sure I want to…” he whispered in a sleepy voice, as he replaced his hand around her waist and began to caress her lower back, slowly inching his way to her buttocks.

“What do you mean? Aren't you sleepy anymore?” she asked, confused, allowing her hand to return to his face, enjoying the feel of his lips moving in a smile.

“No way. After your delicate touches I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep…” he chuckled, starting to raise her nightgown to pool it around her waist. When that was accomplished, he proceeded to caress her bare bottom and inner thighs, enjoying the throaty sigh that his wife released. In a sudden movement, Prince Draco laid on top of his wife, grinding his hard mid section against her bare pubis, groaning with the pleasure the movement gave to him.

Moaning, Ginevra raised her arms, searching for his neck and finding it, pulled his head lower until it touched hers. After a few seconds of clumsy search, they were both kissing passionately, while he kept on grinding against her.

“Draco, light up a candle… I can't see you, like this.” She gasped against his lips and slowly kissed her way down his throat to bite his pulse point.

With a quick movement of his hand and a whispered incantation, a small light came to life near the bed, and slowly gained force, bathing the bedroom in a weak, yet sufficient light. Finally they were able to see each other, both looking very aroused, their eyes shining brightly and their mouths slightly open with their quick breathing.

“Why did you stop?” she teased with a grin and his eyes went wide open with shock.

“I'll never get used to your cheek, my darling…” Prince Draco chuckled and allowed his wife to remove his undergarments. Soon, they were both joined, moving restlessly in synchrony, as their pleasure mounted and spread all over their bodies until it finally exploded in absolute release. The force of it shook them to the core, leaving both panting hard, wrapped in each other's arms, listening to their quick heart beats go back to normal.

“Now I can go back to sleep, but thank you for waking me up… I enjoyed it, very much.” he chuckled, pecking her nose and laying by her side, keeping his arms around her.

Once more, Ginevra longed to tell him the way she felt about him, but didn't. She considered telling him about her plan and hope for his forgiveness, but she didn't. There would be a time for everything, and it was not now. For now, she simply held him in her arms and listened to his breathing deepen, until he finally went back to sleep.

She must have fell asleep, as well, for when she woke, there was a cold empty space next to her. Her husband had already left. Opening up her eyes she looked at his side of the bed and smiled when she saw the white lily on top of his pillow.

`How could I not love him?' she thought, once again, and picked up the gentle flower in her hands before she left the bed.

After bathing, Ginevra called a maid to help her put on the corset, since Parvati was supposedly sick. With a smile on her face, wondering about her brother and her maid's growing relationship, Ginevra put on a beautiful white dress and caught up her hair at the nape of her head, taking great care to secure the white lily in the bun.

The first step of the day was to owl Mr. Zabini, inviting him for morning tea with her. As soon as that was done, Ginevra went down for breakfast but there was no one at the dinning room's table.

“The King and the Prince left early this morning, while the Queen had breakfast in her bedroom.” A maid shyly explained, as she placed a tea service in front of Ginevra.

After growing up in a house full of family, it was strange to eat breakfast alone and Ginevra found she hated it. That was why she felt so relieved when Mr. Zabini arrived an hour later, looking handsome and pleasant.

“Milady, it is always a pleasure to be in your company… Thank you for inviting me.” He smiled and bowed slightly to kiss her hand.

“We'll see if you'll still feel that way after we have a serious conversation.” Ginevra replied nervously and led him to the sitting room. “Can you please silence the room and ward the doors? This is an important matter…”

Mr. Zabini looked at her with curiosity and apprehension, but satisfied her request. Soon enough, Ginevra started to reveal her plan. The sitting room's doors only opened, once again, nearly two hours later. A very serious and worried Mr. Zabini exited the room, while a sad but relieved Ginevra remained sited on the sofa. Things were going well…

It was lunchtime, already, and Ginevra quickly went to the Dinning Room where the King, Queen Narcissa and Prince Draco were starting to sit down. As soon as her husband saw the white flower contrasting with her red hair, he smiled widely and rose from his seat to pull back her chair.

“You look beautiful, Ginevra.” He whispered in her ear and sat back at her side. His wife merely smiled and reached out a hand, under the table, to clasp his.

How much more time did they have, together like this? Now was not the time to think about it… Not if she wanted to carry on with her plan and be successful.

“Ginevra, are you feeling well? You look a little pale…” Queen Narcissa enquired with concern etched on her face.

“I'm feeling well, Mother. I didn't sleep much, that's all.” Ginevra lied; she had been doing that a lot, lately. By her side, Prince Draco discretely coughed to hide the grin that spread over his face. Of course he had to understand her comment in a sexual way… And now, she was blushing.

The Queen chuckled when she saw the embarrassed looks on both her son's and her daughter-in-law's faces. She still had big hopes for the two of them working out their differences and building a good marriage, yet, she knew that Ginevra's plans would change things. Now, it was just a matter of time to see how those changes would affect their lives.

“You do look pale, my wife, maybe you should get some sleep.” Prince Draco told his wife, as soon as lunch was over and they headed to a balcony overlooking the garden.

“I'm fine, Draco… Will you stay in the Palace, today?” she asked, leaning against the railing, by his side, to watch the beautiful scenery.

“No, I have to go to town, this afternoon… Did you need anything?” he asked gently, watching the sun reflect on her fiery hair.

“No, I was just asking. Mrs. Potter should be here very soon…” Ginevra replied with a smile and turned around to face him. “Have a rest of a good day.”

“I will.” He replied and allowed her to kiss his nose before she went back inside the Palace.

`How much more caring can she be?' he asked himself in wonder at her gentleness.

Just like she had said, soon enough Ginevra was welcoming Mrs. Potter in the sitting room.

“Hermione, thank you for coming. First of all I would like to give you my apologies, once again, for the way I behaved yesterday, at your home. My emotions got out of control…” Ginevra smiled and sat in an armchair next to her friend. “How do you feel today?”

“I'm getting a little sick in the morning, but I'm perfectly fine for the rest of the day…” Mrs. Potter explained with a happy smile, but then, her face fell down to a frown. “We need to talk, Ginevra…”

The young princess inhaled sharply, having not been prepared to such a formal announcement. What could possibly be wrong?

“Hermione?”

“Yesterday, after you left, Harry and I spent some time talking about your request… We both think you are getting the carriage ahead of the horses, Ginevra.” Mrs. Potter explained seriously, looking into her friend's, now teary, eyes. “Why don't you talk with Draco about your plans? Why don't you wait until he is the King to convince him to make the changes you so desire? Why act behind your husband's back?”

The tears finally fell from Ginevra's eyes in big drops that ran down her cheeks, bathing the corners of her mouth with a salty taste. She knew things were going too well to be true.

“We are still willing to help you, Ginevra, but first, we want to make sure you are certain about your plan. Are you sure you don't want to wait for Draco's reign?” Mrs. Potter explained, tears welling in her eyes, as well. “We can be seriously punished for going against the King. We can all be killed!”

“I understand, Hermione.” Ginevra sighed sadly although she truly saw the Potters' reasoning. She had been thinking along the same lines for the last few days. “It is risky and you have a husband, as well as a child on the way. I'm sorry I asked you to betray your king. It was very selfish of me, wasn't it? It would be better if you stayed out of this…”

“Yes, it would… But I won't.” Mrs. Potter replied seriously. “We will help you. Harry's very excited with the prospect of teaching and I can hardly wait until I practise my first spell. We will have to be very careful, so that we won't get caught… In the end, I'm sure things will work out just fine.”

“Thank you for remaining by my side, Hermione, and tell Harry to start preparing his lessons on Charms, Transfiguration and Defence… Everything else is already taken care off. All that is missing is a list of the women we need to talk to.” Ginevra replied with a little more enthusiasm. After all, her friends had not abandoned her.

“I'll bring the list on Monday and we can organize the social tea for Wednesday… I must leave now, Harry said he would be home for tea.” Mrs. Potter rose from her seat and gently hugged her friend. “Don't forget about the other alternative… Things could be made differently.”

“It's too late to change my plan, Hermione. Things are already starting to happen…” Ginevra replied without giving any more explanations. “Make a safe trip back home and I'll see you Monday.”

As soon as Mrs. Potter had left, Ginevra went to her bedroom, put on one of the simplest dresses she had as well as a black robe with a hood. She would need to be completely covered if she wanted to walk around the city, unnoticed.

The worst was to pass the Guards at the Palace's gates, but when they saw her face and red hair, they immediately apologised and offered to get her a carriage, to which she politely refused, claiming to enjoy the exercise. In half an hour, walking in a fast pace wearing high-heels, Ginevra was exhausted, yet excited. She could only hope that Mr. Zabini had already arrived at her twin brother's bar in town.

The bar was for men only and she had been there only a couple of times, but she was sure they would allow her to enter for a few minutes. Tiredly walking among the crowd that filled the streets, Ginevra finally arrived at the WBW - Weasley's Bar for Wizards. It was an one-storied building and looked very old, the paint starting to fade on some spots and the windows of the bar were completely dirty, from so much smoke, on the inside and from the road's dust, on the outside.

Chuckling at her brother's lack of cleaning abilities, Ginevra entered the bar, maintaining the hood up, covering her hair and face, although the volume of her robes revealed her female nature. Soon enough, she had a wand pointed at her face.

“Hey, miss, women are not allowed in bars, as you probably already know… Leave, before we call the Royal Guards.” A familiar voice warned, no hint of the usual humour lacing his voice.

“Oh, come on, George… You wouldn't do that to your own sister, would you?” she chuckled, drawing back her hood after making sure there was no one inside the bar except her brothers and Mr. Zabini.

The red-haired boy in front of her gasped in shock and immediately lowered his wand.

“Ginevra Weasley, what do you think you're doing, coming in here? It's against the law, you know?” George scolded her, waving a long pale finger in front of her amused face and tried to keep a smile from showing up on his face.

“As if the law ever stopped us from doing mischief, my darling brother…” Ginevra laughed and hugged her brother tightly. “Oh, by the way, if you want to scold me, you'd better get used to my new name: Ginevra Malfoy.”

“Nah, I don't think so… You'll always be a Weasley, sis.” Fred, George's perfect copy, replied, hugging his sister and his brother, at the same time. “So, what brings you by? Came for a glass of firewhisky?”

“Absolutely not! I've never touched a drink that much alcoholic after what you did to me on my eighteenth birthday. I thought I was going to die, victim of internal burns.” Ginevra gasped, remembering her birthday party when the boys had given her a glass of firewhisky, saying it was ice tea. She had spent nearly an hour crying with the burning in her throat and stomach. “I came to meet someone. May I expect both of you to be discrete about this?”

“You know were are discretion, itself, but Gin, why are you meeting a man behind everyone's back?” Fred asked with concern.

“Don't worry, I'm not cheating on my husband. This man is just helping me with something… We'll leave in a few moments.” She explained and after kissing each of her brothers' cheeks, Ginevra went to Mr. Zabini's table and sat in front of him.

“Blaise, did he accept?” she asked at once, not caring about cordialities.

“Yes, he did. Said he has been expecting for this, for the longest of times.” He replied with a nod. “I'm still apprehensive, Milady…”

“I know, Blaise, I know. Trust me, everything will work out well and don't worry, your name will never be known. All you have to do is what we talked about this morning…” she replied gently, but then an excited smile covered her face. “Can we go there now? I can hardly wait!”

Mr. Zabini simply nodded his agreement and helped her stand. As they walked out the door, Ginevra waved her brothers goodbye and covered her head with the robe's hood. Mr. Zabini held her arm, leading her to a small store down the street and as soon as they entered, the young man warded the door closed and placed a spell on the window to keep anyone from looking inside.

“Ah, Mr. Zabini, back so soon?” an old man enquired, his eerie, moon-like eyes studying Ginevra's hooded form. “Milady, I'm sure you can reveal yourself, now that Mr. Zabini has taken such careful security measures.”

Ginevra gasped in shock that the man seemed to know who she was and quickly lowered her hood and smiled unsurely at him.

“Nice to see you, once again, Mr. Ollivander.” She said, taking a step closer to the dusty counter, which separated costumers from seller.

“Ah, yes, Mrs. Ginevra Malfoy, Birmingham's Princess. I still remember when you came here the first time, staring at everything wide eyed, while your twin brothers tried their new wands, and then later with the boy, slightly older than you. His wand his the one with the Unicorn's hair, I believe…” the old man mumbled, lost in thought. “So, after all these years yearning for a wand of your own, you finally got your wish…”

“Yes, sir. Thank you for doing this for me… for us. It means the world to me to be able to perform magic.” Ginevra smiled, more sure of herself and signalled Mr. Zabini to join her at the counter. “Can I try to find a wand, now?”

“Of course, let's start…” Mr. Ollivander replied, picking up a measurement tape and spelling it to measure Ginevra, all by itself, while the values appeared magically on a battered piece of parchment, in Mr. Ollivander's hand.

Without another word, the old man started climbing a tall ladder that looked too old for someone to stand on it. In a quick succession he started reaching for long, thin boxes from several places, as the ladder slid down the tall shelves. At last, he returned to Ginevra, placing dozens of boxes on the counter and opening the first one.

“Made of Ash with a Dragon's Heartstring, 7 1/2 inches.” Mr. Ollivander whispered, as he held out the wand for Ginevra to take. The way he held the wand so gently and eyed it, made her remember a sacred act. Slowly, Ginevra took the wand in her hands and stared at it with fascination.

“Milady, you have to give it a wave.” Mr. Zabini's amused voice woke her from her reverie and she did as told. After a gentle wave, nothing happened, but before the disappointment downed on her, Mr. Ollivander handed her another wand, then another, and another.

There were a few wands still waiting to be waved, but Ginevra was loosing all hope.

“Mrs. Malfoy, do not worry. Many of my clients have to spend hours waving wands, until they find the perfect one…” Mr. Ollivander explained, with a mysterious smile, as he opened yet another thin, long box and picked up another wand. “This one is made of Mahogany, in its core lays a Phoenix's feather. A perfect combination for Charms and Defence… The 6 inches are perfect for control and balance. Give it a wave…”

Ginevra obeyed and nothing could have prepared her for what happened then. Some kind of energy filled her body from head to toes, making it tickle all over and filled her ears with the sound of the wind. At last, the energy flowed to concentrate on the wand, from which sparkles started to shoot up in the air, in all imaginable colours.

“No doubt about it… You've found your wand, congratulations.” Mr. Ollivander clapped his hands and started to clean the counter, by replacing the discarded wands in their proper boxes.

Ginevra laughed happily and gave Mr. Zabini a quick hug.

“I have a wand!”

“I had noticed…” he chuckled, amused with her carefree reaction. Every wizard saw his wand, as something required of him to perform magic. But Ginevra saw it as a prize, a long desired symbol of independence, responsibility and happiness. And there she was, caressing her wand as if it were a delicate flower, which might be destroyed from on moment to the other.

“Mr. Ollivander, how much do I owe you?” she asked at last, calming down from her happiness.

“You're already doing enough, Mrs. Malfoy. Just make sure you succeed…” he replied in a serious tone and then disappeared among the tall stacks of wand boxes.

“How will you go back to the Palace?” Mr. Zabini enquired as he dropped the wards on the door.

“Back as I came… I need to think and the walk will do me some good. Be prepared for Wednesday…” Ginevra told him seriously, placing her wand inside the robe's pocket and pulling the hood over her head.

“Very well… Until then, Milady.” He replied, preparing to leave, but Ginevra stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you for doing this, Blaise. I know this must be very hard for you, but thank you. Make sure you bring her with you, on Wednesday…” she whispered with concern and then watched him walk away.

On the way back to the Palace, Ginevra walked quickly, never releasing her hold on the wand, inside her pocket. Although she needed to practice the spells to which she knew the theory, Ginevra couldn't help but feel powerful and protected, for having such a strong weapon in her hands.

When she finally entered her bedroom, Ginevra could no longer feel her feet. She quickly removed her shoes and clothes, hid her wand at the back of her underwear's drawer and at last, took a long bath. She could hardly wait to start training her spells…

And train she did for the next few days, whenever Prince Draco had somewhere to go or something to do. Parvati had arrived from her visit at Hogwarts extremely excited and full of stories to tell about the time she had spent with the Princess' brother. Those two would end up married, for sure…

Her husband's old bedroom had become her secret hiding place and it was perfect because, in there, she could find all of his old school books about charms and transfiguration. At the end of the weekend Ginevra had mastered a few spells, like Lumus, Nox, Alohamora and Petrificus Totalus (which she had practised on a passing spider).

Still, she had also found the time to be with her husband, reading in his arms, talking with him or just sleeping. Her practise had always left her a little sleepy and weak, but Prince Draco, fortunately, didn't give it much care.

Unfortunately, not everyone let her tiredness go unnoticed… Mr. Snape was too much of an observer to ignore her strange behaviour.

On Monday morning, in the middle of her Potions Lesson with him, Mr. Snape had noticed the young Princess' constant yawns and the way her right hand kept on patting her dress, near her hip.

Smirking, Mr. Snape silently walked behind his pupil, as if he was just checking on her Potion, while his hand gently removed a long object from inside a pocket, which had been recently added to the expensive dress.

When he recognised the object in his hand, Mr. Snape's eyes went wide in shock, as he stared between the wand and the young woman ahead of him.

“Milady, can you explain the meaning of this? Where did you steal it from?” he snapped furiously, his black eyes becoming dangerous and his face contorting in fury.

Ginevra immediately turned around and gasped when she noticed her wand in his hand. She tried to grab it, but Mr. Snape placed it out of reach and demanded her answer.

“It's mine, I didn't steal it.” She sighed, her hands shaking in fear of what would happen now. “I've been practising a few spells since I bought it, that's all…”

“That's all? Do you have any idea how dangerous it is for you to walk around carrying a wand? What if Lucius finds out?” he snapped angrily, pacing the room in front of her, his robes billowing behind him like huge black wings. “At least you could avoid touching your pocket all the time… It's a dead give away.”

With this last comment, Mr. Snape smirked and observed the wand in his hands. It was very light and simple, but hummed with powerful magic.

“Make sure you hex your husband he acts like a prat…” he chuckled darkly.

“Mr. Snape, you're confusing me! First you snap at me for carrying a wand and now you support me?” Ginevra asked with shock all over her face.

“Albus told me all about your plan and I knew you would eventually do something like this… Still, it's very dangerous! Make sure you don't practise too hard or you'll loose all your energy. I can see you are weaker already… Have some rest and practise only a few spells at a time.” Mr. Snape warned her in his best teacher's tone of voice and gave back her wand. “Now, finish your Potion…”

“Yes, sir!” she chuckled, going back to her potion, the wand back inside her secret pocket. “But what do you think of my plan?”

“Terrible, in the least! I can't imagine how will I survive through another year at Hogwarts… This year is going to be the worst, so far. Yet, I can always take more points off the Gryffindors… Maybe it won't be that bad, after all!” Mr. Snape replied, lost in his thoughts with a mischievous grin on his pale face.

Ginevra just chuckled. Four out of her six brothers had complained about Professor Snape, when they had attended Hogwarts. Percy had always complained about the Professor not giving him the full marks he deserved, while the twins and Ron complained about the `Greasy Bat of the Dungeons' taking too much pleasure from removing points out of Gryffindor.

Well, if he accepted her plan, simply because he could take more points out of Gryffindor, so be it… At least she had another supporter.

******* ------ *******

Sorry if there's any mistake in the chapter. After spending so many hours writing it, I have no patience to read it and correct it. If you find something wrong, tell me and I'll correct it, ok?

Just came back home from having dinner with my parents at a wonderful restaurant (there goes my diet!). After all, it is the Women's Day!

Well, I had a few things to finish in this chapter, and here it is. I still don't reveal much, but there are a few hints at what's going on.

Some of you might ask: Why did Blaise agree so quickly to be a part of this? Soon you'll know, my dears.

I have 6 hellish school works to do, and I'm already starting to do research, but I'm sure everything will go just fine.

Thank you to all of you who took the time to review, it means the world to me.

Enjoy this chapter. Love, Carina

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16. Two Down, One More to Go

Chapter Fifteen - Two down, one more to go

After her Potions lesson, Ginevra decided to follow Mr. Snape's advice and got some rest, before lunch. Magic was part of her, but had never been used and she had never learnt how to control it, that's why it tired her so much to practise the simplest of spells.

Ginevra could still remember the night she had asked Prince Draco to let her use his wand. She had been so excited and nervous, that she had lost control of her magic, which resulted in a fire in the garden and her breakdown, due to lack of energy. The fact that she had been using her husband's wand might have been another factor for her failure. At the time she had thought she was the fault for the failure, but now that she had her own wand, and was able to cast a few spells, Ginevra knew better.

She woke just in time to attend lunch. The King, his wife and Prince Draco were already sitting at the lunch table when she walked in. Her husband immediately rose from his seat to help his wife to her chair.

As she gave her husband a bright smile of appreciation, Ginevra noticed the letter in the King's hand. It had the Hogwarts' crest on it… That could only mean that everything was going as planned.

“DAMN IT!” the King yelled, surprising the three other table occupants.

“Father, what happened?” the Prince asked immediately, reaching for the letter.

“That fool Dumbledore should have left Hogwarts a long time ago! He has no control over the castle, as well as, no control over his mental faculties…” the King spat, furiously.

“Headmaster Dumbledore is a wonderful person, and a powerful wizard, milord. You should show a little more respect for his person…” Ginevra said in a temper, feeling insulted for Albus Dumbledore.

“Quiet, girl! You shall not talk to me in that tone. Better yet, do not talk to me, at all!” the King spat, menacingly.

“Father, calm down. Ginevra was just giving her opinion… Ginevra, abstain from making comments, will you?” Prince Draco whispered to his wife. “Now, what happened to make you so furious?”

“Apparently, the four Houses' Common Rooms have locked themselves and Dumbledore says they'll only open again by the next full moon, in one month's time. School will start, not on September first, but on October first.” The King replied, rubbing his face with his pale hands, so similar to the Prince's hands.

“That's strange, even for Hogwarts…” the Prince replied, while Ginevra bit back a laugh. Her plan was working… “I'll reschedule the leaving ceremony and send a letter to Hogwarts, asking about the arrival of the carriages.”

“Yes, you do that. I've lost my appetite.” The King hissed, leaving the room in a temper.

“Why is he so upset? It's only one month…” Ginevra commented, returning her attention to her food.

“Darling, you shouldn't confront him, this way… Lucius is very easily offended.” Queen Narcissa warned her with concern.

“I'll try to control myself, next time. But, why does he hate Headmaster Dumbledore?” Ginevra replied, curious.

“My father believes Dumbledore is crazy and too old to run such a big, important school. He has tried to expel Dumbledore from the school several times, but he never succeeded. My father probably sees this unpredictable situation as an affront…” Prince Draco explained, sipping his wine.

“Well, I like Headmaster Dumbledore, and I believe he's quite sane… Saner than most of us, anyway. He just likes to be silly and leaving people wondering about his mental health.” She replied amusedly. Ginevra had one eventful month ahead of her, before October first.

Mrs. Potter arrived after lunch with a roll of parchment in her hand. Both young women went to the sitting room and spoke in hushed tones.

“I hope you feel like writing, because we have a few dozen letters to send.” Mrs. Potter smirked, showing the list to Ginevra.

That afternoon, after spending three hours writing the same message, over and over, thirty-two letter were distributed by a Royal Guard. Each message read:

`Dear Miss/Mrs. Name of the Recipient,

Ginevra Malfoy, Princess of Birmingham's Kingdom requires your presence at the city's party salon, for a social tea on the next Wednesday, at five o'clock.

A matter of the utmost importance shall be discussed and that is why you must participate of this event.

Respectfully,

Ginevra Malfoy'

Coincidence or not, Wednesday was the first of September, usually the first day of school at Hogwarts. It was a quarter to five when Ginevra arrived at the building, from which the Queen had seen the young woman for the first time, a few months ago. The large salon was still empty, full of round tables with the best china and cutlery ready for tea. There were several plates full of small cakes and biscuits and elegant bouquets of flowers adorning the tables.

“Ginevra, you've arrived early…” Mrs. Potter greeted with a bright, yet nervous smile. “Ready?”

“Very much so. As Harry arranged a way to silence our guests?” she asked, removing her cloak.

“Yes, he has. The two of us have already signed the presence's parchment and Harry will make sure every woman signs it, as well… If they try to babble, they'll find themselves heavily cursed.” Mrs. Potter replied mischievously.

“Good.” Ginevra sighed, looking out the window.

“Is everything alright, my friend?”

“Everything's wonderful, right now, Hermione. Too wonderful to be truth, in fact.” She explained and took a seat at the Head table, as the guests began to arrive and curtsey before the Princess. “I love him…”

“That's wonderful!” Mrs. Potter gasped and hugged her friend, enthusiastically. “Have you told him, yet?”

“No, I'm not sure what will happen when all this comes out in the day light, and I don't want to make both of us suffer more than we should.” Ginevra explained, taking one deep breath. “Here comes Mr. Zabini.”

Two cloaked and hooded figures walked in the room, one male, and the other female, only identifiable because of the voluminous skirts. The male figure came to join Ginevra at the Head table, while the woman sat alone in a table, at the back of the room.

“Blaise, thank you for coming. We'll start in a few moments…” Ginevra whispered, so that only he could hear. Mr. Zabini dropped his hood; revealing his, brand new, transfigured face. He wanted to remain anonymous for personal reasons and she respected that.

At last, Mr. Potter joined them at the table, carrying the parchment full of signatures in his hand.

“Everything is under control, Milady. We may start…”

Ginevra rose from her seat and waited until all the guests were silent and paying attention.

“Good afternoon, ladies. First of all, I want to thank you for being present… As many of you must have, probably, thought, this is not only about having tea. There's something else…

“I won't beat around the bush. Women are being treated like common objects, the only power we have over man is when we choose the menu for lunch… Sometimes we can't even decide that, though. But, I'm sure you must agree when I say, we are much more than that… We are witched, my friends!

“Women have practised magic for hundreds of years, but recently, that right was taken away from us… Two wizards and two witches founded Hogwarts! Once upon a time, women attended that school, alongside with boys… If we have magical abilities, why can't we use them? Why can't we learn how to control our magic?

“Women keep on being raped, beaten and killed. If we want to go anywhere, we need a carriage to take us there. If our house is attacked, we can't do anything, besides hiding under the dinning table…

“Well, I'll tell you this: with a wand and proper control of our magic, we could prevent any wizard or muggle from attacking us, we could protect our home and our families, we could Apparate to our destination… Can't you see the usefulness of magic? Can't you feel it running through your veins?

“I know you must be shocked right now, but I must go on…

“Things must change, that's why I propose to each one of you that, for the next month, you learn the basics of magic: useful Transfiguration spells, Charms, Potions, Herbology and Defence spells to protect your integrity and that of your family. With Herbology, you'll learn the important aspects of each potion ingredient; you'll learn to brew potions to heal your child's wounds or to alleviate a headache…

“During one month, all of you have the opportunity to be taught, to use a wand that belongs to you, exclusively, and at the end of that time, we would see how far have we all developed. If everything goes right, we'll do the same with lower-class women and if they succeed as well, we'll try to convince the King to change the laws regarding women's rights.

“None of you will be able to tell what happened in this room, to anyone. If you try to, there will be consequences in the form of a nasty hex. Those of you unwilling to participate in this educational program, please leave the building right away. Your faces and names will never be revealed, so don't fear what might happen to you, if you leave.” Ginevra finally finished her speech and prepared herself to what would happen next.

For a few moments, the women simply looked around them, trying to decide what to do, depending on the other women's reactions. At last, about half of the women rose from their seats and, curtseying, left the room.

“I will understand if you wish to leave, as well…” Ginevra said, the disappointment evident in her voice and on her face.

The remaining women didn't move an inch… The class would have eighteen students, including Ginevra and Mrs. Potter.

“Professor Zacharias will teach Potions, Arithmancy and Herbology, while Professor Potter will teach Charms, Defence and Transfiguration. Each of you must visit Ollivanders' shop, get your own unique wand and hide it the best you can. Classes will be held everyday, around 3 p.m., in this same room. Are you all ready to prove yourselves?” Ginevra asked with an encouraging smile.

“Yes, Milady!” the women replied, excitedly. It was then that Ginevra noticed something… Only the youngest had remained. Those women of fifty years and older were the ones who had left. Probably they were resigned to remain living the only way they knew how to live… without magic.

As soon as they all left, the hooded woman came to stand in front of Ginevra and bowed, respectfully.

“Do not bow before me, Miss Zabini… It's a pleasure to meet you.” Ginevra whispered, pulling the young woman into an embrace.

“Thank you, Milady. I've heard many things about you… Some good, from Blaise, some bad, from Pansy.” The young woman replied, gently.

“Ah, yes, Pansy Parkinson… Well, don't believe everything you hear. I'm sure you're quite capable of making your own observations.” Ginevra chuckled and invited Miss Zabini to sit by her side. “Are you afraid of showing me your face?”

“No, Milady, I just fear what you'll think of me…” Miss Zabini whispered sadly, her voice faltering with emotion.

“Miss Zabini, I know that what you see is not a reflection of the person inside, most of the times. Do not worry about my feelings…” the Princess replied, honestly.

Under the attentive gaze of the Potters, the Princess and Mr. Zabini, the young woman lowered her hood, revealing long, shiny black hair, bright blue eyes with long eyelashes and full lips. Miss Delia Zabini was beautiful, even with the scars that spread over her cheeks, neck and upper chest.

Ginevra gasped sadly, tears brimming in her eyes, and took the young woman's hands in her own.

“How could he do this to you? You are beautiful and yet, he marked you like this… Why haven't the Healers removed the marks?” the Princess asked, very sadly.

”They say they can't… They told Blaise that the wounds were too deep.”

“So unfair… Delia, please help me ensure that no other woman will have to suffer the same things you went through.” Ginevra pleaded.

“I will help you, Milady. Thank you for helping us…” Miss Zabini replied with a smile.

Ginevra and Miss Zabini hugged one last time and went their separate ways.

On the trip back to the Palace, Ginevra shuddered remembering Mr. Zabini's tale of his sister's rape.

Miss Zabini had been taking a walk around the Zabini's Manor when a wizard, riding a horse, grabbed her and threw her on top of the horse, secured by his strong hands. When they were far away, he dismounted and began his horrible game… He started by cutting all of her body with his knife and ripping her clothes. When she was bleeding from head to toes, he rapped her, tearing her insides with too much violence. Delia Zabini had screamed, but they were in the middle of nowhere… She had prayed for Death to take her away from such suffer, but she didn't die. At last, the man mounted his horse, once again, and left her there, bleeding and in shock, after such an act.

Miss Zabini had feared for the rapist's return so, weak from blood loss and pain, the young woman tried to find a road, where she could ask for a passer-by's help. She succeeded and soon she was taken to a Healer that contacted her family. From that day on, Delia Zabini had locked herself inside her family's house, never leaving to take a walk around the garden…

No one had caught the rapist yet, so she feared his return. Her whole body held the marks of what he had done to her and her mind would never go back to being the one of a carefree eighteen-year-old girl, again.

Ginevra respected the young woman, felt angry that she had not been able to protect herself because of the stupid law and hoped that things would change soon, before she had to meet yet another Delia Zabini.

A new adventure began… Each woman bought her new wand and kept it hidden from everyone. Classes went very well, with every student trying hard to succeed with their spells and wand movements. Each day, after classes, they would have tea and talk about their expectations and fears… They were all forming a strong bond.

The month of the educational program was coming to an end and soon the students would go back to Hogwarts, while the class of grown women would finish their education… Well, probably they would only end the first step into their magical education. Hopefully, if things ended up changing, they would be able to continue their training.

“Sunday, at 1 p.m., we must be present at the Leaving Party, mid-town. Hogwarts will send the carriages on Saturday night and, by Monday, school will begin a new year.” Prince Draco explained to his wife, as they walked inside the palace, since it was raining outside.

“It will be a good year, I'm sure…” Ginevra smiled happily, enjoying the feel of his warm arm around her waist. “There will be someone visiting the new students the night previous to the leaving, isn't that right?”

“Yes, but, how do you know that?” he asked, surprised, but then he just chuckled. “Oh, of course… I had forgotten you have six older brothers. Yes, a person representing Hogwarts will visit each new student, to make sure they prepare their things for the leaving.”

“Good…” she replied with a pleased smile. Everything was going according to plan.

“Where have you been going, lately, mid-afternoon? For the last few days I've spent the days in the Palace and I never found you, anywhere…” Prince Draco enquired, kissing the top of her head, enjoying her sweet scent.

“Missed me, have you?” she grinned teasingly, and he just chuckled.

“Maybe I have, maybe I haven't… Well, where were you?” he grinned as well, stopping them in the middle of the corridor.

“I've been having tea with several high-class women, talking about the usual women's stuff.” She half-lied and buried her red face on his chest, hugging his waist against her body.

“That's good… Are you feeling well?” he whispered, concerned with her, while he caressed her bare neck, making her shiver.

”Wonderfully well, Draco… Can we go to our bedroom?” she whispered, kissing his jaw with hopeful eyes.

“We can.” Prince Draco replied with a small smile, taking her hand to lead her to their bedroom.

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The Leaving Party was held in the city's central square. On one side there were dozens of shiny black carriages, with Hogwarts' crest on the doors, waiting to take the students back to school.

There was a tall stage on the other side of the square, where the Royal family sat in luxurious seats, waiting for the ceremony to begin. The height gave a good view of the crowd that filled the square, as well as a good view of the students in their Hogwarts' school uniforms.

Soon enough, everyone noticed something wasn't right in the picture and started whispering their surprise. They weren't the only ones to show surprise, the King became quite upset when he saw the amount of young girls wearing school uniforms, among the other students (all of them boys).

“What is the meaning of this? I demand an explanation!” the King yelled, furiously.

As if she had been waiting for this moment to appear, a tall, thin woman, with black hair pulled back into a bun and wearing tartan dress robes, walked to stand in the middle of the stage. She curtseyed before the Royal family and looking over her square glasses, she winked in Ginevra's direction.

With precise movements, the woman, around sixty years old, drew a wand from her sleeve and placed a Sonorus Charm on her own throat.

“Guards! Arrest this woman immediately!” the King yelled, as soon as he saw her draw her wand, and placed himself in a duelling position with his wand at ready.

The woman hexed the two guards with a quick Petrificus Totalus and they fell on the floor, their bodies completely rigid.

“If you don't wish the same fate, you will lower your wand, King Malfoy. I'm here representing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My name is Minerva McGonagall and I will teach Transfiguration, from this year on.” The woman said in a cold tone of voice that made the King obey. Still he stared at her furiously.

“Very well, explain what is going on. Why are those girls wearing the school's uniform? Why are they even there?” he demanded, going back to his throne, while the crowd listened eagerly, thanks to the Sonorus Charm.

”In Scotland, where Hogwarts in located, there are no laws banning women from using their magic. Because of that, all girls with magical powers were invited to attend school… We have enlarged the common rooms and prepared them to receive girls, once again, after so many years without their presence.” Professor McGonagall explained, turning around to face the crowd. “Those of eleven and twelve years old, will have classes with the first year boys. The ones from thirteen to seventeen will be included in a single class, to be part of an intensive program, until they reach the proper level of achievement, according to their ages.”

The crowd whispered wildly, trying to understand what was happening.

“Tell me, do you or do you not wish for your young daughters to have a better life by the use of magic to protect themselves and their families? They can be powerful, they just need a proper education…” Professor McGonagall announced, loud and clear.

When she had visited the new students' houses, the previous night, she had explained the situation to the girls' parents, and most of them had agreed to send their daughters to Hogwarts. With their consent given, she had supplied each girl with a new trunk, school robes and school material, curtsey of Headmaster Dumbledore.

A new era was about to begin, if only the King would accept the situation without further confusion.

“Children, say goodbye to your families, as you'll only see them again at Christmas. As soon as you're ready, get in the carriages orderly… We must arrive at Hogwarts in time for the Welcoming Feast.” Professor McGonagall announced.

“Stop! You can't take those girls away from my kingdom without my authorisation!” the King spat furiously, leaving his throne to face the older witch.

“Their parents authorized their leave, there's nothing you can do to stop this situation. Thank you for your hospitality, King Malfoy.” The Professor replied with a sneer and left the stage to join her students.

The King just remained where he was, watching as the carriages left in great speed, heading North to Scotland. As soon as they were out of sight, he entered his own carriage and retreated to the Palace. He had been mocked in front of the whole city… It was all Dumbledore's fault, in his opinion.

Queen Narcissa smiled knowingly at Ginevra and followed her husband in her own carriage. The crowd began to dissipate, commenting on what had just happened, while Prince Draco and his wife remained on their seats.

“Ginevra, did you have anything to do with this?” he asked, raising a pale eyebrow to show his suspicion.

She remained silent, since she didn't want to lie anymore than she already had.

“Do you realise the social problems you're raising with this?” Prince Draco hissed under his breath, grabbing her wrist with more strength than necessary.

“The Kingdom needed this shock to wake up from its numb mentality…” Ginevra explained gently, although he was hurting her. “Did you notice those girls' faces? They were so excited to go to a magical school and have a wand, just like their dad or brother…”

“My father is furious because of this, Ginevra…” he sighed, releasing her wrist and rose from his seat, to pace in front of her.

“He'll get over it. Are you very mad at me?” she mumbled sadly, afraid of his reaction.

“Let's go back to the Palace.” Was his only reply as he held her hand and led her to a carriage.

From the way he was holding her hand and the tense muscles on his face, Ginevra knew her husband was extremely upset and trying his best to remain calm.

“Draco, just say it. Keeping all those thoughts to yourself will only frustrate you.” She whispered resignedly, entering the carriage, followed by him.

“Do you realise what you're doing? Do you know what will happen to you if your name is revealed? It can be considered treason… For now I'll remain silent, but I still have the power to punish you, no matter if you're my wife or not.” He replied angrily.

“Everything worked out fine, there's no reason to suspect anyone and my name will never be revealed, unless you report me.” Ginevra replied, trying to show a confidence she didn't feel. There was another treason happening behind this one.

“Give me a reason not to, Ginevra.” Prince Draco scowled, looking out the carriage's window.

“I'm not going to give you one, Draco. Find those reasons by yourself, without anyone telling you what to think or what to do… I trust your good judgement.” She replied, massaging her sore wrist, noticing the red marks of his fingers appearing in the fragile skin.

They spoke no more that day… Each went their own way, inside of the Palace.

Ginevra worried about her husband's opinion of his wife and about the plans she still had to accomplish.

Prince Draco worried about his wife. She had gotten him to question his ideals, she had made him wander through the Kingdom asking people's opinion about certain laws about women's rights and, recently, he had started to understand her opinions. He hadn't been prepared to face the fact that she was acting behind everyone's back.

He feared for her safety but promised himself to protect her, for as long as possible. He had come to care very much for her and the thought of losing her was like a nightmare. Still, she was placing herself in very dangerous ground, and if she slipped once, not even he would be able to save her from the law.

On Monday, 2nd of September, the class of grown women who had participated on the Educational Program received their diplomas, that Ginevra had ordered from a trust-worthy Calligrapher. They swore to remain silent about what had happened on the last month and to maintain their wands hidden in their dresses, at all times, in case of needing immediate protection.

For the next few weeks, Ginevra and Mrs. Potter selected a large group of low-class women, to start a new class. As soon as the women were chosen and the classes began, Mrs. Potter went back to her old life, staying at home preparing her child's layette.

In her private life, Ginevra was having a hard time. Prince Draco hadn't completely forgiven her, for her involvement in the girls' presence at Hogwarts… They were in speaking terms and they slept together, but still, he had only sought her, sexually, two times over the last two weeks.

She wasn't sure, but she felt that the feeling of treason did not motivate his anger. She felt that he was concerned about her, and tried not to show it so hard that he avoided her, altogether.

Ginevra had been lost in her thoughts, sitting at the Head table, while Mr. Potter lectured the class about transfiguring a mouse into a goblet. She only came back to reality when she heard the room's double doors explode into pieces and all the women started screaming.

Immediately, Ginevra ran to Mr. Potter and hid with him behind a table, while the other women did the same, waiting for the dust to settle.

“Harry, get out of here, now. Disapparate back to your Manor and pretend you never left…” she ordered in a whisper.

“I can't leave you here, Ginevra!” he replied desperately.

“Harry, think about Hermione and your unborn child. GO!” Ginevra hissed.

“Be safe…” Mr. Potter whispered, pulling her into a tight hug before he Disapparated.

“I don't think that's possible, now…” Ginevra mumbled, feeling the tip of a wand against her jugular. Thankfully Mr. Zabini hadn't been present today, or she would have had another wizard to protect, besides Mr. Potter.

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Yeah, yeah, I know I took a long time to update, but here it is. The story is coming to an end. Two more chapters, perhaps?

Well, I'm spending Easter out of town; I'll be going to visit 3 different historic cities in South Portugal. If you want to see what they're like, search on the Net for Evora, Vila Vicosa and Estremoz. They're gorgeous.

The next chapter is already down on paper; I just need to get it on computer, so, next week I'll try to post it, alright?

Thank you for the formidable reviews.

Love, Carina

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17. Condemnation

Chapter 16 - Condemnation

`Over the years, I forgot how many times the twins placed me under the Petrificus Totalus… Usually they did it when I found out their mischievous plans and menaced them to tell mom, the only person they actually fear.

Each time, they kept me under the spell for a few minutes until they put their plan into action… Oh, I miss my family's fiery temper.

When you are placed under a spell by someone you love, just for fun, you don't mind… much. But, when you're placed under Petrificus Totalus so that the Royal Guards can transport you to the Palace's catacomb, that's no fun at all…'

After was seemed like hours, Ginevra was abruptly dumped inside a cold and dark cell. All the women that had been attending the class were in there already, most of them crying with despair and fear.

“Stupid women, trying to be better than men!” a few Royal Guards yelled, from the other side of the cell bars, their faces sneering menacingly. “You will all get what you deserve…”

With evil laughter, the Guards retreated from the corridor, leaving the large group of women trembling with fear and apprehension. In the other cells, several criminals started whopping them and hissing dirty words.

“Look what you've done to us! We have families to feed, Milady… What will happen to our children? To our husbands?” several women yelled, loosing any control they had left.

One of the students showed some respect, by helping Ginevra get up from the floor, while the others kept on complaining and mumbling between them. Ginevra was being judged by those she had been trying to help… That was betrayal and it broke her heart.

Mustering her strength, the Princess straightened her back, took a deep breath and looked around at her `students'.

“Do you honestly believe I wished this fate to fall upon our heads? Do you actually think that I don't care about your families? Well, surprise, I actually do have a heart!” Ginevra said furiously, although she kept her voice as low as possible. It wouldn't do to start screaming with so many criminals around. “I had never expected this to happen, and I'm so terribly sorry we were betrayed… All of us. Someone must have broke the contract and revealed our secret, that's why the Guards knew where and what to look.”

“And the teachers just fled! They left us there, to fend for ourselves…” a short blond woman complained, rubbing her wet cheeks.

“And you may notice that I'm here, among you, willing to be judged for this situation. They are just as innocent as you all are, and I'll make sure none of you remain here for long…” Ginevra replied calmly and then turned around to face the cell bars. She knew she had to do this, but it scared her immensely what would happen from now on.

“Guards.” She called loudly, ignoring the whistles coming from the men, in the other cells.

“What do you want, you piece of shit?” one of the Guards spat, as he approached with another colleague. Ginevra chose to ignore the nasty treatment and prepared to speak in her most cool and well-educated tone of voice.

“I demand you call Prince Draco, right now. I need to talk with him…” she requested, nose high in the hair and back as straight as possible.

The Guards laughed for a while, then stopped to look at each other and laughed again.

“The Royal Family has too many things to do, they can't visit traitors in the catacombs, whenever a criminal wants to see them…” one of the Guards commented, still chuckling.

“My name is Ginevra Molly Malfoy, Princess of Birmingham's Kingdom and married to Prince Draco Malfoy. I demand to see my husband, right NOW!” she yelled at last, her chest heaving with her fury and nervousness.

All the men in the catacombs stared at her in shock.

“How can we tell if you're telling the truth?” the Guards asked.

Ginevra extended her left arm and in her hand shone a ring made of platinum, with an emerald surrounded by small diamonds. The ring that Queen Narcissa had passed on to her, several months ago. Ginevra had come to love as much as the wedding band next to it. They both meant a lot, although in different ways.

The Guards appeared to recognize the Royal Jewel, as Queen Narcissa had worn it most of her married life, and immediately opened the cell's door to allow her to leave.

“Forgive us, Milady, we had no idea you had gotten lost in the middle of the confusion… Please, step out of the cell.” The Guards said with stricken looks on their faces and sounding extremely nervous.

”No. First of all, I am the responsible for the secret magic lessons, so, you will release all these innocent women.” Ginevra ordered coldly, not taking one single step toward the door.

“We can't. They must be sentenced…”

“Do as I say or there will be consequences!” Ginevra bellowed and they avidly obeyed, allowing every woman to leave. “Once again, I'm sorry I've failed you all.”

The women left the catacombs freely, but the Princess remained in the empty cell.

“Now, call my husband and his father…”

This was not the plan she had traced… Things had gone out of her control and power. Her new life would be taken away from her, before her purposes were accomplished.

The Prince arrived much later, Ginevra presumed it was already dark outside as the cell became humid and colder. He looked pale and worried as he gripped the bars separating him from his wife, sitted on the cold stone floor, rolled in a ball to keep herself warm. Her red hair was falling off her bun and her face was tearstained…

He had dreaded this day… He had known it would happen, sooner or later.

Ginevra stood on her feat while the Guard opened the cell and Prince Draco ran to his wife, pulling her into his arms.

“What have you done, Ginevra? How could you risk yourself, this way?” he whispered angrily, although his hands gently caressed her face and hair.

“I needed to do this, Draco… Call me a lunatic, if you want to, but I had to change things. It didn't work, though. Someone betrayed us…” she explained, sobbing violently and holding him as close as possible, trying to enjoy his presence for as long as she could.

“Who's us, Ginevra?” he asked, angrily.

“I can't tell you, Draco, I'm under a secrecy contract.” She explained sadly. “But now, they're all safe…”

“Except you! Aren't you the martyr…” Prince Draco sneered coldly, pushing her away from him and started pacing the cell. “First, you meddle with Hogwarts and now, this… Do you enjoy ruining this Kingdom? Do you hate me that much?”

“I'm sorry you interpret it that way…” Ginevra whispered, her heart breaking with sadness and the tears falling down her face. “Please, leave.”

The Prince stared at her in shock and worry… He quickly gathered her in his arms once again, but this time, she remained stiff and unresponsive.

“Ginevra…”

“No, Draco, just go.” She whispered, returning to her foetal position on the cold floor, her eyes tightly shut as the sobs travelled down her body. Finally he left, leaving her alone… he had no power to set her free, after she had confessed to be the author of the crime of high treason.

It hurt so much to see her in such a situation… He worried about what would become of her, if his father would sentence her like a common criminal. Prince Draco's heart broke to leave his wife behind, sitting in a cold cell, surrounded by common thieves and rapists, but there were no special cells for women in the catacombs. He had tried to convince the Chief Guard to release her under his custody, but he hadn't allowed such thing. There was nothing left to do, now, just wait for his father to set his wife free.

Despite all of the King's precautions to stop the news from spreading, by the next day, the whole kingdom was commenting on the Princess' arrest and the reason why she was in such a situation.

“Damn that stupid girl! She meant trouble right from the start…” the King snapped, throwing the newspaper angrily on the breakfast table.

“Father, please release her and I assure you she'll be kept under watch. Ginevra won't do this, ever again…” Prince Draco pleaded once more, dark circles under his eyes showing his failure to sleep the previous night, worrying over his wife.

“No! Draco, I've told you this last night… She will be sentenced, like any other criminal.” The King hissed, before leaving the room in a temper.

The Queen swallowed a sob, but the tears fell down her face at seeing her broken son and imagining Ginevra in the catacomb.

“What will they do to her, Mother?” he mumbled weakly, hands covering his face.

“I don't know, Draco, I don't know.”

By order of the King, no one was authorized to visit Ginevra. Not even Prince Draco or the Queen.

For three days, Ginevra remained alone, in that cell, doing nothing, saying nothing, eating nothing… She smelled awfully and her clothes were filthy, but still, she remained silent.

At last, the Guards came to get her and took her to the city's main square, at the same place where the Student's Leaving Party had been held. The street was full of people, staring at her sadly, disappointment etched on their faces.

The Weasleys were near the front, looking broken, while Mrs. Weasley cried and sobbed, at seeing her daughter in such a bad condition. Parvati was crying in Ron's arms…

`At least they got together.' Ginevra smiled sadly and kept on studying the crowd.

Next to the Weasleys, were the Potters and Blaise Zabini, looking very worried. The Royal family was on the stage facing the crowd and the prisoner.

Queen Narcissa had red puffy eyes and her face was showing her apprehension, while Prince Draco sat extremely still, his eyes avoiding her and dark with tiredness. It broke Ginevra's heart to see him so tired and it hurt her even more that he didn't stand to look at her, in the eye.

King Lucius Malfoy looked smug and satisfied to see the girl in the state she was in. His son deserved a better wife than this… creature.

“Ginevra Weasley, you're being accused of treason to the throne. How do you find yourself?” he asked, after placing a Sonorus charm on his throat.

“Guilty.” She replied, trying not to faint. She was too weak to stand on her own.

“Very well. As a sentence, your marriage to Prince Draco Malfoy will be annulled. You will go back to the catacombs, where you will remain for two months on water and bread. No visits will be allowed. After that, you will go back to your family's home and stay in home arrest for two years. I can only hope you give up on the silly idea of teaching women to become something they cannot be.” The King sneered, disappointed at the lack of reaction from the pale girl. “Understand that this sentence is very light, due to the fact of your connection to my son… Otherwise, you would have remained in the catacombs for several years.”

The whole audience remained silent, except for several women's sobs. Ginevra just nodded in understanding and then, dared to face her father-in-law.

“May I say one last thing?” she asked and the King placed a Sonorus charm on her throat.

“Carry on.”

“These women are witches, they can do anything a man can, with a wand. Don't let yourselves be forced into a servant's position. You have rights, fight for them!” Ginevra said to the crowd, her voice sounding as weak as she felt.

“Silence! Haven't you done enough, already?” the King spat furiously and removed the spell.

Just as the Guards prepared to take her away, Ginevra finally met her husband's teary eyes. He rose from his seat and came to stand in front of her, remaining silent.

“I hope you'll find a better wife, My Prince.” She whispered with a sob and finally cried, when he touched her cheek with affection. “I love you…”

As she confessed her feelings, the Guards pulled her away from him and led her to the catacomb, while Prince Draco remained in the same spot, staring at his wife… the woman who he had learned to love and whom loved him back. Now that they had everything to be happy, she was taken away from him.

“When I chose Ginevra as your bride, I chose her for her temper. I thought she would make my son fight harder to get what he wanted… She would help him mature. I never intended for you to go through this and I never intended to hurt both of you, my dearest.” The Queen whispered behind her son, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Will you give up on her?”

“Yes, he will! Your marriage will be dissolved as soon as you find another bride. You have one year to marry, once again… Make sure you find a proper girl, this time.” The King warned, dragging his son to a carriage, to go back to the Palace.

Ginevra felt guilty for saying those three words in such a horrible moment. She had always waited for a better time to confess her feelings to her husband, but in the end, the moment never came… She had told him she loved him, precisely when their marriage was condoned to failure.

What hurt the most was that Prince Draco never said one word. It didn't matter if he said good things or bad things, as long as he said something… Ginevra was sure that had been the last time she had seen her husband, and she knew she had two long months ahead of her, suffering for what she had lost.

Nowadays, the Guards allowed her two baths a week and her long hair had been cut by her shoulders, to keep it easier to wash. The meals consisted of water and bread, which she ate, but it wasn't enough to make her weak body recover into its old healthy form.

Probably due to her malnourishment, her menstruation had failed and Ginevra still had four more weeks to go, without a visit to keep her sane. The other prisoners gave up on haunting her after the first few nights and at the moment, they ignored each other. She was just another prisoner…

Her body was too thin and her once tanned skin was now unhealthily pale.

“Milady.” A familiar deep voice called, from the other side of the cell bars. Mr. Snape was standing there, looking worried and shocked. “You look awful.”

“Thank you, Mr. Snape.” Ginevra smiled slightly and stood with some difficulty, grasping the walls for support. “How have you gotten here? I'm not allowed to have visitors.”

“I'm not just a visitor, I'm a Potions Master that has a talent for Healing.” He replied smugly and then became serious again. “How are you?”

“I miss having company, someone to talk to… I could use a decent bathroom. That bucket isn't very pleasant and I have an audience at all times…” she replied, pointing to her `toilet'. “Thankfully, the Guards have placed a sheet shielding that corner.”

Mr. Snape looked worried as he followed her eyes to the curtained corner of the small cell. In his opinion, the girl deserved better than that…

“I'm worried about my family and… Draco.” She confessed, approaching the cell bars to talk privately with her visitor.

“I'm sorry you're in such a situation, but you did cause it…” Mr. Snape said in a fatherly tone of voice. “Your family is well, waiting for your return to home. Draco is fine, as well…”

“Has he… found a new wife, yet?” she mumbled, playing with her thin grey dress's sleeves.

“No, but he is looking.” He replied. “I came here to run a diagnose on you, to find out which vitamins you're lacking.”

“Who sent you here?” Ginevra asked as he moved the wand in front of her, from between the bars.

“The Queen… She has been very upset, since this happened. You know she loves you very much, just like a daughter.” Mr. Snape replied and became silent, staring at her in shock. “Milady, you're very malnourished. You'll need special vitamins if you don't want to lose your child…”

“My… child?” she gasped with surprise and covered her mid-section with both hands.

“Yes, you're pregnant… Three months far, I believe.” The Potions Master replied, seriously. “You'll need fruit, some meat and a lot of vegetables…”

“Mr. Snape, I'm on bread and water. I can't access those foods.”

“You must recover your physical condition, if you don't wish to miscarriage your child.” He snapped furiously.

”Maybe it is for the best. The child wouldn't have a father and would be made fun off because of his mother.” Ginevra cried sadly, placing both hands on her belly. “I'm sorry, baby…”

“Don't you dare give up on such an important matter, Ginevra! You have fought for matters that didn't concern you, directly, and now that you have a life growing inside of you, you give up?” he asked, incredulously. “The King must be informed of this, right away!”

“NO! Please, don't do that… If this child does develop healthily, I don't want the King to steal it from me. It's my baby, my link to Draco, and I won't allow the King to raise a cold bastard…” Ginevra pleaded, tears falling down her pale cheeks.

“Make sure you eat what you're brought.” Was all Mr. Snape said, before he left the catacombs.

--++--++--++--++--

The Palace wasn't the same without Ginevra in it… The Sitting Room now seemed cold and uncomfortable without her presence on the sofa, reading a book. The meals were silent without her usual chatter…

The sadness was filling the Queen's hearts as well as the heart of her son. The Queen was sure that Prince Draco had learned to love his wife and she felt sorry for him… He had lost his first, and probably only, love, ever.

Queen Narcissa knew what happened to the men arrested in the catacombs, and she feared what would happen in the case of a woman. Worried, she had requested Mr. Snape's services and she was now waiting for his report, sitting in front of the fire, at the Sitting Room.

“Milady…”

“Severus, please, tell me, how is she?” Queen Narcissa pleaded, inviting him to sit next to her.

“She's very weak. I could see her bones through her skin and she's too pale… Ginevra needs fresh air, sunlight and food rich in nutrients, especially now.” Mr. Snape replied, rubbing his face with both hands.

“What do you mean, especially now?” the Queen gasped.

“She's pregnant…”

In the corridor, standing behind the open door leading to the Sitting Room, a pair of silver grey eyes widened in shock.

“I'm having a grandchild? Oh, Draco will be so happy!” the Queen grinned widely, tears filling her eyes.

“She doesn't want the Lucius to know… She fears the child will be taken away from her, and she's right. Lucius would raise that child to be the Kingdom's leader, showing no feelings, no emotions, no heart…” Mr. Snape continued, standing up to pace the room.

“Will she allow Draco to meet his child?” the Queen asked, her face going back to showing sadness.

“She has two years to spend at home arrest, and the child will be with her… I doubt Draco will be able to see either of them.” He replied, gravely. “I'm not sure about what she wants…”

“I wish I could turn back time and discourage her from carrying on with her ideas… They are suffering when they should be spending time together, loving each other and enjoying the news of the new life they had generated.” Queen Narcissa sobbed, using a white linen handkerchief to wipe the tears from her eyes.

“Everything happens for a reason, Narcissa… Let things happen and we'll see how everything goes. Maybe fate is reserving their happiness for a later moment.”

With that said Mr. Snape left the Palace and went back to Hogwarts. He had already given orders to the Guards, telling them what Ginevra needed to eat and gave them the vitamin potions he wanted her to take. He could only hope she would not miscarriage.

Back at Hogwarts everything was going perfectly well. The girls made the classes much easier to teach, as they applied themselves more to the classes than the boys. As they realised this, they started working more to show off… The result? Never had he given such good grades, in the seventeen years he had taught at Hogwarts.

Ginevra had succeeded in that plan of hers, and she deserved better than being treated like a common criminal. He respected her, he admired her willpower as well as her intelligence.

Mr. Snape could only hope his words to the Queen were true and Ginevra would still have her chance at happiness next to Prince Draco.

---~~~---~~~----~~~---

I'm sorry it took such a long time, but my social life has been hectic, lately.

Recently, Fanfiction.net deleted my story so, from now on, you'll only find it here, at Portkey.org.

I only expect to write 1 more chapter, but you never know…

Thank you for your support, your reviews and your patience.

With all my love,

Carina

-->

18. To be or not to be... happy

Chapter Seventeen - To be or not to be... happy

He had tried everything, from bribing the Guards, to trying to sneak in the catacombs. He had never succeeded.

Prince Draco was in a profound state of sadness, knowing that his wife must be suffering all alone in such a horrible place. Her confession after her sentence was given made his stomach knot with anxiety. She loved him… When had that happened? Was it for real?

He regretted not having replied to her announcement, but at the time he had been too shocked and emotionally drained to understand what she had said… Even now, one month later, he didn't know what he would have said to her, back then.

Love was a strange feeling, for him, and he had only felt it towards his mother… Sure, he held great respect for Ginevra, after getting to know her better in the last months, he missed their long conversations and cuddling in front of the fireplace… He missed her warm body close to his, in their bed. How could he sleep knowing she was somewhere dark and damp, lying in a small hard cot, eating poorly and having no one to talk to?

Prince Draco was very worried about his wife, and now that his marriage had to be dissolved, he didn't know how to proceed. How could he simply let her go, after spending all these months learning to enjoy their bond?

“Draco, she's out!” Mr. Zabini's voice yelled cheerily, as he entered Prince Draco's office. “She's out!”

Prince Draco snapped out of his thoughts and faced his friend with an incredulous look on his face.

“Are you sure? But, it's too soon; she was sentenced to remain in the catacombs for two months…” the Prince babbled, pacing the room nervously, running his trembling hands through his hair. “Is she alright?”

“I'm surprised, as well, Draco, I don't know why she was released before her time and I don't know how she is, but she's free…” Mr. Zabini replied excitedly, his face shining with happiness that his new friend was out of prison.

“I need to see her, right now!” Prince Draco replied, turning on his feet to leave the room, when a dark figure stepped in front of him.

“Your father has the Weasley's house surrounded by guards and special wards. You'll never be able to enter the area.” Mr. Snape explained calmly, crossing his long arms in front of his black clad chest.

Prince Draco sighed tiredly, sitting in front of the fireplace and for the first time in many years he allowed tears to fill his eyes and spill down his cheeks. He made no sound, he did not sob, but the tears still fell.

“I love her, Professor… I need her back.”

“Good, I'm glad you feel that way, Draco, because she needs you, as well. Now, more than ever…” the dark wizard replied, placing a comforting hand on his ex-student's shoulder.

“What do you mean with that, Professor?” Prince Draco asked curiously, standing up to face the man he respected so much.

“She has spent the last weeks in a terrible environment… Ginevra slept in a cold, damp cell with no hygiene, where not even the sunlight can reach, she was fed bread and water and she had no visits.” Mr. Snape explained furiously, pacing the room. “Your wife, Draco, was treated like the a dangerous criminal!”

“I've tried everything to get her out of there, Professor! I've tried so many things, all of them failed…” Prince Draco whispered in despair. “I'm out of ideas and powers to go on. She's out of my reach…”

“Foolish boy! If you truly love her, you'll keep on fighting. Something happened and that something may help you get her back…” the Potions Master sneered and sat in an armchair, next to a very surprised Blaise Zabini. “She's pregnant.”

“What?!” Prince Draco gasped in shock, holding on to a shelve to keep himself standing. “Ginevra's pregnant?”

“Three months pregnant, to be more precise. Breathe Draco...” Mr. Snape rose and led Draco to his seat. “She's in great risk of loosing the child if she doesn't regain her strength and health… I was very surprised to ear the news of her release, from the catacombs. Your father must have discovered, somehow…

“She'll remain confined to her parents' house, you won't be able to get close to her due to the wards and Royal Guards. Your child will only receive the Malfoy name if you fail to impregnate your future wife… Are you willing to live without ever meeting your child?”

“MERLIN, how I hate my father, right now!” the Prince yelled, furiously, throwing a vase against a wall.

“Still, you can change this situation, Draco…” Mr. Snape replied calmly, smirking mischievously.

“Tell me how.”

And the three men started plotting a way to win Ginevra back, as a wife, a friend and a student.

The following day found Prince Draco entering a bar in town, with his head covered by a hood. This was Ginevra's twin brothers' bar and he needed their help.

“Good morning, mate, what can we do for you?” one of the red-haired twins offered, cleaning a table's surface with an old rag.

“Plenty…” the Prince replied, lowering his hood, revealing his identity to two surprised brothers. “I need to see Ginevra.”

The twins just nodded and grinned, ushering the Prince to a room at the back of the pub.

“I know she's back at your house and that she's pregnant with our child… I've tried everything I could to free and visit her, but I was unable to. Ginevra told me about many of your pranks and talents in Charms, that's why I need your help.” The Prince explained, facing the two equal faces of his brothers-in-law.

“I believe this situation needs the presence of another two people.” One of the twins grinned and exited the room.

By lunchtime, a new plan was put into action. The Weasley twins approached their home in a leisure pace, passing by the Guards, one of them being Ronald Weasley himself. As the twins passed by their brother, he winked at them and nodded, letting them know everything was according to plan.

One of the twins seemed to hold his breath as they entered the house's courtyard, and then released it in relief, when nothing happened. Together, they entered the house and, as soon as the door was closed, they hooted with happiness.

“It worked wonderfully! Very well, mate, you only have to wait five minutes until the Polyjuice wears off…” Fred Weasley explained, leading the Prince, polyjuiced as George Weasley, to the kitchen, where Mrs. Weasley was quickly setting the table for lunch and keeping an eye on a caldron, where something was cooking and releasing a wonderful smell.

“Mum, Ronald won't be coming for lunch until much later… Mr. Jameson, the Royal Guard's chief, as taken ill and Ron's replacing him.” Fred lied smoothly, kissing his mother's plump cheek and signalled his `twin' to do the same thing.

“Something smells wonderful… `Mum'.” The Prince commented, awkwardly kissing the redheaded woman, as well.

“You never compliment my cooking… What's wrong with you, George Weasley? What have you done?” the elder witch reprimanded, pulling on the polyjuiced man's ear.

“Nothing, he hasn't done nothing, mum… Release him, he's not feeling well today. `George' why don't you go upstairs and lay down for a while?” Fred intervened, winking at his `brother', who immediately obeyed.

As soon as the Prince exited the kitchen, he felt his body change and his face going back to its normal complexion… Pale skin, silver grey eyes and silver blond hair.

He was in his wife's family home. When he had requested the Weasley twins help, he had never expected such a great plan. They had asked Ronald Weasley to replace one of the guards and remove the wards without their knowledge, then, they gave two vials with Polyjuice potion to the Prince, telling him to take one then, and save the other one for when they left the house.

Unbelievably, the plan had worked and now he could see his wife, without a care in the world. Quickly, he climbed the stairs to the first floor and opened the bedroom's doors as he went, until he entered a small white room, with a small bed covered in a pink duvet. Buried in its covers was a pale red haired Ginevra Weasley.

The Prince took careful steps to the bed and realising she was asleep, he sat by her side, caressing her thin face, running his fingers through her fiery tresses and allowing his hand to caress her thin waist, smiling at the thought of his child growing inside of her.

“Ginevra…” he whispered close to her ear, desperate to see her soft brown eyes staring at him with their usual glow.

“Draco? What are you doing here?” she gasped, sitting up in bed to face him better, her eyes wide with shock. “Are they taking me away again? I don't want to go back to that place…”

“You're safe now, my dear, don't you worry…” he whispered soothingly, reaching out a hand to caress her cheek. “Your brothers helped me pass through the wards, so that I could see you… I've missed you so much!”

With a sob, the Prince was holding his wife in his arms, wishing he could keep her next to him, forever more.

“I've missed you too… But, why are you here?” she asked shyly, looking into his sad eyes.

“You've manipulated your way into my life and now I ache without your presence… I've been doing everything I could to set you free, but my father is too strong as a King.” The Prince explained, caressing her arms and shoulders. “I don't know if I should call you mad or brave. I admire your strength, your courage… Just like I've said earlier in our marriage, you'd make a fine Gryffindor.”

“All my brothers were Gryffindor, so its only natural I would be one, as well.” She chuckled and then turned serious, once again. “I have something to tell you, but I'm scared of your reaction…”

“I already know of our child and I'm feeling the happiest man alive… Don't worry, I won't take it away from you, because you'll stay close to me, forever more.” He replied seriously, but with a smile gracing his lips. “We have a plan to make things go back to the way they were, but I can't tell you how… Soon, you'll be back to the Palace, to our bed, to our marriage.”

Ginevra's face changed as she smiled widely, her eyes regaining their shine and her arms wrapped around her husbands neck, pulling him close for a soft kiss on the lips.

“Which do you prefer? Boy or girl?” she chuckled, nipping his lips.

“Girl… That way we would have to keep on trying until we had a boy. I want us to form a big family… the family I never had and I could only find by your side.” The Prince replied, kissing his wife more passionately. “That day, at your trial, you said you loved me… Thank you for letting me know, thank you for being so generous. I love you, as well.”

Ginevra let out a sob and allowed her tears to fall down her face, as she hugged him once again and kissed him with all the passion she felt for him.

“How much longer will you be able to stay here?” she whispered against the hollow of his neck.

“A few more hours… Fred said he would bring you your lunch, so that your mother doesn't find out about my presence.”

“Good. I need to explain what happened, throughout these last months, so that you can understand what I did and how I did it.” Ginevra sighed and allowed him to lye next her, under the covers, their bodies touching in all places giving them the comfort they had missed for the last month. “I was the one who convinced Professor Dumbledore to delay the beginning of the school year and with his help convinced Professor McGonagall to teach at Hogwarts. During that month of delay, I formed a class of women from high-class families, and a few teachers taught them. I won't reveal the names of those teachers, so please, don't ask. Those women excelled their magical subjects and they graduated after the month was over…

“I saw how worried you were about my safety, but my plans were already in action… I never expected to be caught this way. Someone must have betrayed the Confidentiality charm, but it doesn't matter anymore… They are not to blame for this situation.” She concluded, placing her head on his chest, over his softly beating heart.

“I was furious that you had placed yourself in such a dangerous situation, Ginevra… I was furious with myself for not being able to help you, but when I heard you had been released and that you were pregnant I just couldn't wait any longer to see you and hold you, once again.” The Prince explained passionately. “Soon, we'll be together once again, you'll see…”

“Just be careful, my love… By the way, who released me?” she mumbled, half-asleep.

“It could only have been my father, but why I do not know… Soon, I'll have the answers, my darling. Now, sleep and re-gain your strengths.” He whispered, caressing her face until her breathing evened out.

“Is she alright?” a voice whispered, coming from the doorway. It was Fred Weasley, carrying two plates full of food, for both Ginevra and `George'.

“Yes, she's just sleeping a little…” the Prince replied with a small smile. “When she wakes up I'll make sure she eats, don't worry. Is Mrs. Weasley suspecting anything?”

“You can never tell with Mum… It almost as if she has a sixth sense.” Fred replied with a chuckle. “We have to leave in one hour, so, make sure you make the best of the time you have left.”

With a wink, the red-haired young man left the room, silently closing the door behind himself. Prince Draco grinned and placed a Stasis charm on the food, to keep it warm for later.

Ginevra slept for the next half-hour, while her husband kept on studying her, noticing the differences in his wife. The catacombs had changed her, profoundly, but he was certain that with some rich food and some sunlight she would return to normal… externally. Internally, she was still the same woman he had come to love and respect, and for that he was grateful.

As soon as she woke up, the Prince made sure she ate her lunch while he did the same, enjoying his mother-in-law's cooking talents.

“This is wonderful… Can you cook, as well?” he asked with a large grin, as he finished his plate.

“Yes, I can… One of these days I'll make you dinner, what do you think of that?” Ginevra grinned, putting away her empty plate.

“I hold you to that promise… And now, I must leave or the Guards will suspect something's wrong.” The Prince replied, embracing his wife as he saw the sadness and fear creep back into her eyes and face. “Soon, we'll be together again, don't worry.”

“I'll hold you to that promise, as well…” she mumbled and kissed him urgently, passionately, letting him know just how much she would miss him. “Be safe.”

“I will…” he replied with one last kiss and drank the last vial of Polyjuice potion, preparing to leave the room.

“I love you.” She whispered, watching him opening the door and he turned around, giving her a bright smile before his face turned into that of her brother George. There was no need to repeat the same words… He knew she was aware of his feelings, and that was all that mattered.

Downstairs, Fred was already waiting for `George' to leave and when the Prince joined his `twin', Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen to join them.

“We have to go, mum. We'll see you later…” Fred told her, giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Stay out of trouble, Fred.” She warned him with a waving finger and a serious frown.

“He will, `mum'.” `George' replied, hugging the small woman and kissing her cheek.

“Thank you for visiting, My Prince… She really needed to see you.” The plump woman replied knowingly, with tears filling her eyes.

The Prince was surprised that the woman seemed to know what was going on, but he smiled and nodded his head before leaving the house, accompanied by Fred. As soon as they left the house's perimeter, Ronald replaced the wards, without anyone noticing and winked at them. Everything had worked out wonderfully; this time… The Prince could only hope everything would go this well with his next plan.

“Good morning, father.” The Prince greeted as he entered the Dinning Room, where his parents were already having breakfast. “There's something I need to talk about, with you.”

“What is it?” the King replied coldly, not even raising his eyes to look at his son.

“Why did you release Ginevra?” Prince Draco asked, curious to know his father's reasons.

“That's no business of yours. Forget about her, Draco, and focus on finding a new wife so that you can have an heir to the throne.” The King replied angrily, his hands clenching into fists.

“Why should I have any other children, when I already have an heir, and a wife?” the younger man replied furiously.

“Ah, so you already know… That child won't be a Malfoy unless you marry another woman and produce another child.” The King hissed in a low tone, his eyes looking as menacing as his voice.

“I won't be a Malfoy unless you allow my wife to return to the Palace with our child. Is that what you want, father? To lose your only heir?” he knew he was playing dirty, but, as Mr. Snape had said, the King's weak spot was his family's name. It would be the end of the Malfoy line if Prince Draco died or gave up on his title.

“What do you think you're doing, boy? You are my heir, and you will be king of this Kingdom… Don't you dare blackmail me.” The King yelled angrily, throwing the table's contents to the floor with one hard pull on the white table towel.

“But I am blackmailing you, father. I give you two days to make your decision…” Draco yelled, standing up from his seat. “If you deny my request, I'll deny my name and title… If you allow Ginevra back where she belongs, by my side, I'll continue to be your son, your heir and the future king of this Kingdom. Decide well, father, for you have much to lose.”

With that said Draco walked around the table to kiss his, shocked into silence, mother and then, left the room with a huge grin on his lips. He had the winning hand.

“Damn!” the King yelled, slamming his fists on the table, scaring his wife who immediately rose from her seat.

“Lucius, calm down, please.” She whispered calmly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, feeling the soft strands of his long hair caress her skin. She had missed the feel of his hair…

“I don't want that girl to be this kingdom's Queen! She's a bloody traitor.” he groaned, leaning into his wife's touch. “What can I do?”

“Accept her as the woman your son loves, as the mother of your grandchildren, as the future Queen of this Kingdom.” Queen Narcissa replied in a gentle tone, bringing her body closer to his back, until she was able to place both arms around him in a comforting hug. “I've missed this…”

He knew what she was referring to… There had been a time when they had been almost happy, enjoying each other.

When he had found out that his parents had chosen a bride for him to marry, Lucius Malfoy had been furious. He was then introduced to a young blond girl; with bright blue eyes and angelic face… her name was Narcissa.

For the next weeks, they were required to getting to know each other, but Lucius had been so dismayed, so furious that he kept on ignoring her and treating her coldly. Narcissa had always accepted his insults and his actions, never arguing with him, never scolding him…

When they got married, they spent their wedding night together, but from that moment on, they only had sex when he felt like it and called her to his bedchambers. Usually the bedmaids provided better company and demanded fewer feelings from him.

It took them several years to finally conceive a child… When he found out he would be a father, Prince Lucius was so excited that he started spending more time with his wife. They started spending their days together, reading in the Sitting room, taking long walks in the garden, playing chess games… Prince Lucius learned to enjoy Narcissa's presence, personality and beauty, until she gave birth. When he saw his small baby boy, the Prince wept with happiness and promised to himself that he would cherish his family and protect them from all hurt.

However, things changed when he became King, six months later, and the couple grew apart, once again. Since then, the King had not called his wife to his bedchambers, he had not spent any time talking or doing anything with her… and she accepted his decision, like a proper high-class woman would.

For many years he wondered that if Narcissa had argued with him, showed a little more feeling for him, maybe he would have remained with her, trying to improve their relationship. But he knew she wasn't the only one to fault. He had been too emotionally unstable to remain loyal to one woman, no matter if she was the mother of his child.

“Are you calmer, now?” Queen Narcissa asked gently, rubbing his chest with her hands, enjoying the feeling of having her husband back in her arms, after so many years apart.

“Yes, I am…” he replied, releasing his body from her hold and turned around to face her. “I have a meeting to attend.”

“Lucius… can you postpone that meeting and spend some time with me?” the Queen asked, shyly, certain that he would refuse.

The King stared at his wife for a few moments, studying the red spots on her cheeks and he down turned eyes. It had been a long time since they had had an honest conversation… Maybe it was time to change a few things about his life.

“Of course.”

Together they walked to the Sitting room and sat, side by side, on a sofa. At first, neither knew what to say and a heavy silence settled in the room. Sighing, the Queen sat, sideways on the sofa to face her husband.

“What has happened to us, Lucius? Why couldn't we be happy?” she whispered, sadly, holding his hand in hers.

“We were too young to understand the meaning of a marriage and I was too scared to become emotionally attached.” The King replied truthfully, caressing her hand with his thumb. “There was a period of time when we managed to be happy, but then, everything went back to the way it was initially.”

“I blame myself for our unhappy marriage… I never had Ginevra's backbone or her temper. If I had been that fiery, I would have made you swallow your childish temper, your sarcastic insults, your bad treatment of my person…” the Queen replied, lowering her gaze to their hands. “I believe that's one of the reasons why I chose Ginevra to be Draco's bride.”

“What are you trying to do, Narcissa? Are you trying to make sure our son has everything we failed to obtain?” the King asked with confusion. “Are you trying to live a dream through him?”

“Not only, but yes. Ginevra fell in love with our son, she kept him away from the bedmaids, and she embarrassed Pansy Parkinson, our son's known mistress… She made our son fall in love, for the first time. Haven't you noticed his distress throughout this last month he spent apart from her?” the Queen insisted, trying to make her husband see the truth before his eyes. “And now, they are having a child, yet you are denying him the chance to see his child grow up, to educate his child with the best teachers… to spend his days and nights with his wife. Please, don't deny him the chance to have everything we could not achieve.”

“What about the things she has done to our Kingdom? The treason? You know I could have sentenced her to spend the rest of her life in jail! Still, I gave her a light sentence…” the King replied angrily, standing up to pace the room. “I heard Severus telling you about her pregnancy, that's why I sent her to her family's home. Not even I am that black hearted.”

“She was fighting for something she believed in. And she succeeded… Young girls are now attending Hogwarts, preparing themselves to a new life full of magic.” The Queen replied seriously. “I believe that's something we should admire, not something we should condone.”

“Are you sure the right path is to allow her back?” he asked with his back facing his wife.

“Are you asking my opinion?” she gasped in surprise. He had never asked her opinion on anything…

“Yes, I believe I am.”

“Then, yes, she must come back to the Palace and be happy with our son and grandchild.” Queen Narcissa replied gently, feeling a prickling sensation in her eyes, as the tears gathered. “Draco is the only thing linking us and I don't want to lose him.”

The King turned around to face his now crying wife and nodded his agreement. He had loved his son from the moment he had found out his wife was pregnant… He didn't want to lose him, either.

“Very well, I'll remove my sentence and she'll come back home.” King Lucius sighed, removing his long hair from his face.

“Thank you!” the Queen gasped, throwing her arms around her husband's neck and pecked his lips, her eyes dancing with happiness.

King Lucius just smiled and kissed her back, with more passion, surrounding her waist with his long arms. Maybe it wasn't too late to start a new life with his wife.

“Daddy, I'm tired…” a small girl with long, curly blond hair complained, climbing her father's legs to sit on his lap. “Where's mommy?”

“Mommy's getting dressed for the party, darling.” Prince Draco explained, caressing his daughter's angelic face, smiling as the five-year-old girl rested her body against his chest, ready to fall asleep.

“I want mommy to read a story…” she mumbled, her warm brown eyes already closing, heavy with sleep.

The Prince just chuckled and kissed his daughter's forehead. This girl held the key to his heart, just like her mother and brother.

“Draco, do you want me to take Victoria to her bedroom?” Queen Narcissa whispered, approaching her son, who was sitting on a sofa, in the sitting room.

“Thank you, mother, but I want to have her close to me, right now… It brings memories of when she was born.” He replied with a smile. “Do you remember how small she was, waving her arms in search of Ginevra's heat?”

“Of course I remember, Draco… She was a gorgeous baby. Ginevra was so upset that you had won the bet about the baby's gender…” the Queen chuckled, sitting on a sofa, in front of her son and granddaughter and next to her husband.

“Will Victoria attend the party?” the King asked with a small smile, looking at his granddaughter.

“We were planning to have her there, but she's very tired… I think she'll stay in her bed.” The Prince replied caressing his daughter's long hair.

“No, Daddy, I want to go to the Party…” she complained, trying hard to keep her eyes open, but loosing that fight.

“You'll be going straight to bed, Victoria. You'll go to the next party…” Ginevra replied, entering the Sitting Room with her 6 months-old baby boy in her arms.

The girl fell asleep, once again and, surprisingly; the King took the girl from his son's arms and took her upstairs, to her bedroom.

Five years ago, King Lucius had allowed Ginevra to return to the Palace and had begun a new relationship with his wife. The changes in him were small, but important.

When Victoria was born the King surprised everyone by actually visiting Ginevra and asking to hold his granddaughter. Since then, Victoria had become the King's weak spot… Whenever he had a free time, he would pick up the blond girl and take her for a horseback ride, or a walk in the garden. It was almost as if he was making up for the time he had lost with his son.

While the King was absent, Prince Draco studied his wife. She was astounding, tonight. After two pregnancies her body was fuller and curvier; her breasts were swollen from breast-feeding Edward, their baby boy, and her face glowed with happiness. Tonight was a very important occasion and she wore a white gown, the corset was embodied with small diamonds and on her neck she wore an emeralds' necklace… She was breathtaking, especially with their child sleeping in her arms, his small chubby hands gripping his mother's necklace and his curly strawberry blond hair mussed up from sleep.

“You look wonderful, my love.” He whispered, approaching his wife and kissing her lightly. Seeing her smile so brightly always left him breathless. Looking down, he saw his son's full lips open and close in a sucking motion, although he was not being fed. Chuckling, Prince Draco leaned down to kiss his son's forehead. “Is he staying behind, as well?”

“I would prefer to have our children with us, but there will be too much noise and confusion… It's best if they stay in bed with Parvati watching over them.” Ginevra replied sadly, passing her son to the maid's arms. “If they wake up, please let me know…”

Parvati, who had married Ginevra's brother a few years ago, nodded and took baby Edward upstairs.

“Are you ready for the new weight that we're going to place on your shoulders, tonight?” Queen Narcissa asked in a teasing tone of voice.

“With Draco by my side I will succeed, Mother.” Ginevra replied with a smile, as she embraced her husband around his waist and softly kissed his jaw.

“It is time.” The King said, standing in the doorway.

Together, the four of them entered the Ballroom full of guests and waited until all of them were curtseying. King Lucius surrounded his wife's waist with one arm and led her to the front of the room and Prince Draco did the same to his wife.

“Are you nervous?” Ginevra whispered in her husband's ear.

“Yes.”

“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for attending such an important occasion. As you all must know, by now, my son and his wife gave life to a baby boy, Edward Lucius Malfoy. For the last six months we waited to see how the child would progress and today, Prince Draco will become a King and his wife will become a Queen.” King Lucius explained to the crowd. “Step forward, Prince Draco.”

The Prince joined his father and kneeled on one knee, waiting for the Oath Ceremony to begin.

”Prince Draco, do you promise to be a good King, to respect your people, fight for your people, protect it from harm and keep it strong?” the King asked the ceremonial questions.

“I promise.” The Prince answered and then felt a heavy weight being placed on his head.

“Raise your wand.”

As the Prince's wand touched his father's, a bright light filled the room and everyone gasped in surprise.

“I give you my title, my trust and my love. Use them well.” King Lucius told his son with a smile on his lips, looking him in the eye.

“I will.”

Prince Draco rose to his feet and, surprising everyone, he hugged his father, while the crowd applauded. The Queen joined them, at the front of the room and called Ginevra to her side. Ginevra kneeled in front of Queen Narcissa and took a deep breath.

“Princess Ginevra, do you promise to be a good Queen, to respect your people, fight for your people, help your King rule so that peace can be maintained?” the Queen asked with a smile.

“I promise.”

A small crown was placed on top of Ginevra's red hair and she rose to her feet, to face her mother-in-law.

“I give you my title, my trust, my respect, my love, my dreams… May you use them well.” Queen Narcissa told the younger girl, the tears falling down her face.

Ginevra hugged her mother-in-law and then her father-in-law, who seemed to be surprised with her gesture.

“I respect you, sir, although I betrayed you… I'm sorry for that and I hope one day you'll come to forgive me. Thank you for being a wonderful grandfather to my children and for giving a second chance on your marriage.” She whispered in his ear and stepped back.

King Draco placed his wife's hand on his bent arm and they faced the crowd, which immediately bowed before their new King and Queen.

“My first orders as a King will be the following:

- Apprenticeships will be created in the fields of Healing, Defence, Potions and Charms;

- We will create a Health House where people can find several Healers, willing to help them, no matter the person's social standing. No money will be required for those services;

- The wizards and witches who graduate in Charms will be asked to develop good security wards and apply them to the Kingdom's houses;

- The ones who graduated in Potions will manufacture potions for the Health House and research new potions for different purposes;

- Those who graduate in Defence will join the Royal Guard and train them for serious situations, as well as, increase security in the whole Kingdom;

- Young girls will keep on attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and small classes will be formed throughout the Kingdom to teach grown up women on how to use their magical powers.

It is time to change our Kingdom, we must form the basis for a grand future and together, I'm sure we'll succeed.” King Draco said in a proud tone of voice, seeing the pleased smile on his wife's face.

She had never expected for things to work this well, five years ago. The month she had spent in the catacombs had been very traumatic for her, and five years later, she still had nightmares, every now and then.

Her pregnancy had been like a ray of light in the dark, damp cell, giving her the will to keep on living in those conditions, until she could be released. When she had been released one month before the sentenced date, Ginevra had been satisfied to be going back home, to her warm family… But her family's house was no longer her home. Her home was wherever her husband was… the Palace.

Her husband's visit had been everything she needed at the time and as soon as King Lucius allowed her to return to the Palace, Ginevra had promised to never do illegal gatherings, again… For the last five years she had maintained her promise and there was no reason to keep on fighting. Her husband had heard her side, he had talked with his people and made an important decision… the Kingdom would suffer a great change, for the better. Much better.

The night when Victoria was born, Ginevra had been at the Potter's, visiting Mrs. Potter and her new baby boy, James. When the first pain seared through her body she had wanted to go back to the Palace, to have Prince Draco by her side, supporting her, but it was too dangerous… She ended up giving birth to her baby girl in a guest room, being helped by Mrs. Potter and a maid, while her husband continued his daily routine, knowing nothing of what was going on.

However, as soon as Mr. Potter arrived at his Manor he realised what was going on and went in search of Prince Draco. Both arrived immediately after and the Prince remained by his wife's side as she went through the last stages of giving birth. Usually men weren't allowed to witness such moment, but he had insisted to remain… and she was thankful for it.

Her husband had been the first person to hold Victoria and, crying, he passed her to a very tired Ginevra.

“She's beautiful, Ginevra… I love you both.”

For the next years, Ginevra and her husband found how wonderful it was to have a piece of yourself running around, laughing, screaming, crying, babbling… It was such a miracle to give life to another.

Almost four years later, Edward was born and welcomed with wide-open arms by the whole family, ensuring that Prince Draco won the right to become King. And here they were now, together, happy, forming a family and giving a chance to the entire Kingdom of being as happy as they were.

Couple by couple approached the new King and Queen, congratulating them on their new titles. Every time an ex-alumni of the clandestine class approached the couple, Ginevra winked and smiled, making small enquires about their magic, making sure no one heard. She was happy to realise every woman had kept on performing magic, keeping their knowledge fresh in their minds.

Much later, Ginevra felt a prickling sensation in her breasts… It was feeding time.

She and her husband retired for the night and as they slowly walked through the deserted hallways of the Palace, hand in hand, the new King sighed happily.

”What are you so happy about?” Ginevra whispered, stopping in front of him to study his smiling face.

“I have everything, right now. A woman I love, two beautiful children, even though one of them is red-haired, I'm leading my Kingdom into a much better situation, my parents are finally starting to enjoy each other… Why shouldn't I be happy?” he replied, gathering his wife in his arms and buried his hands in her hair, removing the hairpins holding it up. “Well, there's still one thing missing...”

“And what is that? A brain in that beautiful blond head of yours?” she teased, kissing the tip of his nose.

“Ah ah, very funny. No, I meant another child…” he replied, running his fingers through her long tresses.

“Yeah right… Consider yourself satisfied with the ones you've got.” Ginevra replied, turning her back on him and started walking down the corridor.

“That's what you said after we had Victoria and now we have Edward… I'm sure I can convince you to try one more baby.” He said with a mischievous smirk, surrounding her waist with his arms and kissing her passionately, grinding his body against hers in a rhythmic movement.

“You are a spoiled brat, you know that? Fine, now let me feed my child before I stain the dress with my milk…” she chuckled, entering Edward's nursery, smiling sweetly as she saw her baby boy starting to wake up. “Hello darling, Mommy, the milk carrier has arrived.”

Behind her she heard her husband chuckle and sat on an armchair, with Edward in her arms. With a wave of his wand King Draco removed her corset and dress, leaving her wearing only an under dress, her breast bared as she began to feed the baby.

For the new King this had become a ritual. He would always be present to witness his children feeding on their mother's breast… It made them feel closer, still.

Yes, there had been a time when they had almost lost it all, but now, they were the luckiest couple on earth and nothing could change that, anymore.

And They Lived Happily Ever After

****///***///

Very well, this is it.

This last chapter was a way of letting you know of the changes that occurred.

Ginevra was released, Lucius and Narcissa are starting a new relationship, Draco and Ginevra love each other and are forming a new family.

I know this is a typical ending, but remember, this was a happily ever after kind of story, so it is only natural that they ended up this way.

Thank you to all of you who kept on coming back to read this story, thank you for the wonderful reviews that kept me going, even when I felt completely tired of this fic.

Like I always said, I've never abandoned a fic, and I wouldn't do that now.

I won't be coming back to the fic world for a few months, probably years, who knows… Right now, I'll focus on my Psychology College, make sure I achieve all of my aims and I'll start writing a long HG/SS story.

I'll still be around to read Fanfiction, so, maybe I'll still read one of yours and leave a review… Who knows?

Once again, Thank you for all of your support.

The greatest of loves,

Carina (aka Silverbutterfly)

You shall be missed

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