Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
A/N: This story takes place in The Cabbage Capers era, but its focus is more on Draco and Ginny than the boys therefore I felt it did not belong under that grouping. This is not a lighthearted story about the antics of the boys.
Thanks to nokomis305 for her most excellent betaing skills as always and dragonsangel68 for all the plot talk. I couldn't do this without the both of you!
And before I get asked a million times: Liam is five - six in June and Gareth is two - three in April.
Y!Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/littleyellowduck/
Draco and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day - Part 3
February 9th
It felt strange to be standing on the porch of the Burrow without Gin or the boys in tow. He could probably count on one hand the times he'd been to the Weasley family home on his own. This visit would mark the first time he'd ever been in the house alone with just Arthur and Molly in attendance. It seemed the house was always brimming with a flock of redheads.
Draco had been ever so glad to receive Arthur's note stating that he'd make time to see him the following morning. It wasn't until after he'd settled down precariously close to the edge of the bed with the two bed hogs he called his sons that it dawned on him that his father-in-law might not be so receptive of his cry for help.
So he waited until he knew for sure that Fred and George had left for the shop and Katie and Angelina had taken the older children to school, for they all lived at the Burrow now. It had been decided several years ago that the elder Weasleys needed looking after and the twins were volunteered by their siblings for the task. Their two youngest children, Bruce and Wayne, might still be at home, but seeing as they were only a few months older than Gareth, they posed little threat to his health. The other brothers - Charlie, Percy and Ron - were mostly likely occupied with work and unavailable on such short notice to kill him.
Still, he had trouble announcing his arrival, but matters were taken out of his hands when the door swung open to reveal his mother-in-law, looking ready to make a fuss when her face darkened.
"Oh my, what happened to you, dear?" she asked, pulling him into a tight hug and crushing him against her more - than - ample bosom.
"Molly," Arthur intoned firmly. "Leave the boy alone. He doesn't need to be mauled."
Draco only smiled as his mother-in-law continued to fuss and cluck over him like a mother hen. He rather liked it, actually. There was nothing like a good dose of motherly concern to boost one's spirits.
"It's nothing," he said, glancing away so she couldn't inspect his face anymore closely. The bruise on his nose from where Ginny had clipped him with the jeweler's box the previous evening was a livid deep purple and his eyes were somewhat swollen and bloodshot. He supposed waking up to Gareth pressing on it hadn't helped matters either. "It'll go away in a few days."
"Just let me get my wand and I'll fix you right up," she muttered, patting her pockets for her wand.
"No really, Mum. It's okay," Draco said.
"She did this to you, didn't she?"
"Yes, but it's no less than I deserved."
"Are you sure-"
"Yes, ma'am. I'm sure."
"Alright, but you do look a little thin," she observed, her hands feeling their way up and down his arms. "Would you like something to eat? It'd be no trouble at all - a plate of sandwiches it is." She hadn't even waited for him to respond.
"You'll have to forgive her," Arthur said indulgently as his wife made way to the kitchen on a mission. "Molls has never met a problem she didn't think she couldn't cure with a plate of food and a spot of tea."
He only nodded. Ginny was the same exact way. Only it was usually a pot of chocolate instead of tea. He refused to consider what her figure might be like in twenty year's time, but that didn't matter if he couldn't fix what was ailing them now.
"Why don't we take this into my study where we can be more comfortable," his father-in-law continued, distracting Draco's thoughts from his wife.
He followed the older wizard through the maze that was the Burrow. Although he'd only been a regular visitor for the past ten years, Draco could see all the little changes that had taken place. It was still cluttered, always would be with six children, their spouses and thirteen grandchildren in and out constantly, but the elder Weasleys benefited from a brood who'd managed to do well for themselves. There was new furniture in the sitting room and a complete set of matching china in the cupboard. One space, however, remained untouched - the little study situated in the back corner of the house.
"I must say I'm a bit surprised to see you here after six years," Arthur said jovially as he settled himself behind his scuffed desk.
Draco gave him a puzzled look. "Why is that, sir?"
"Because you're the only one of my sons who hasn't been in here asking me how to get back into his wife's good graces."
It never ceased to make him feel all warm and fuzzy when this wizard called him son like he was a true member of the Weasley clan. "Surely Charlie-"
"Ah no, he was in here about three months into his marriage."
"Who was in here, dear?" Molly asked as she bustled through the door carrying a tray laden with a pile of ham sandwiches, a basket of warm blueberry scones and a steaming pot of tea that she sat carefully on a small table beneath the window.
"Charlie."
She frowned as she poured tea and piled sandwiches on plates before doling them out. "Well, what'd he expect bringing home a baby female Welsh Green. Isolde wasn't about to stand for another woman to be in his life! Smart girl, that one."
"Although I do believe Percy holds the record."
"Honestly, that boy! I don't know how Penelope puts up with him. Did you know he asked her to put off their honeymoon so he could finish up some work on his wedding day?"
"I did not know that," Draco answered, not surprised in the least by anything that particular brother-in-law did.
"And Ron, we can't forget about Ron!" Arthur said with a grin.
Molly tsked. "I don't want to talk about that, but I must say he's very lucky to be alive."
Draco knew all about that one and sure, he'd forgotten his anniversary, but that was nothing in comparison to what the Weasel King had done. Ron was extremely lucky have retrained all of his extremities…
"Are you sure you don't want to fix that for you," his mother-in-law continued without skipping a beat. "I have my wand on me now."
"No," he said, waving her off, "I'll live."
She put her hands on her hips. "Are you sure?"
"Molly," Arthur intervened. "I think the boy has been through enough without you badgering him." Whatever protest she might have wanted to mount died on her lips at the stern look he gave her.
"I'll just be in the kitchen then if you need me," she said before pulling the door behind her.
"Now what can I help you with?"
"Gin-"
"Right, right! Ginny. She's being impossible and you'd like my help to fix up the situation."
For the first time since the whole debacle began, Draco dared to feel a smidgen of hope. If anyone could help him fix his marriage, it was the master himself, his father-in-law.
Arthur Weasley couldn't have survived forty plus years of marriage to Molly Prewitt without having a trick or two up his sleeve…
"Yes, sir," Draco said, trying not to sound too eager. "That would be smashing!"
"Well," the wise older wizard said after savoring a sip of tea, "Molly does make the best cup of tea in all of England. Where were we? Ah yes, you'd forgotten your anniversary and Ginny thought it was the end of the world?"
"That about sums it up."
"I would have thought you'd had this figured out after six years of marriage, but I suppose not. I'm going to let you in on a little secret to keep your wife happy. If it is important to her, then make it important to you as well. It's the first cardinal rule of a happy marriage."
"Is that all?" Draco asked in awe. It was so simple that even that even he could manage it.
"It's not as easy as it sounds," Arthur warned. "Witches are notoriously fickle creatures. Their whims and desires change on a moment's notice. It requires constant vigilance."
Now that he thought about it, his father-in-law was right. Ginny often changed her whims depending on which direction the wind was blowing. He was now going to have to pay attention to the little irritating things about his wife that he'd blissfully ignored for the past six years. Wives should come with warning labels or a manual or something to warn wizards of the hazards of marriage.
"Constant?" Draco asked although he all ready knew the answer.
"Constant. It will make your witch happy. And you know what they say about happy witches…"
He wasn't sure if he could remember what was said about happy witches, but he certainly knew more than he cared to admit about unhappy witches. It seemed like he could barely remember a time when Ginny was happy, it was so long ago. If he wasn't mistaken, those happy times involved lots of sex. Lots and lots of sex actually - Ginny was just as enthusiastic as he was about their time together without the boys.
The simple fact remained, he missed his wife. He missed cuddling with her in the middle of their big bed. He missed the soft lily scent that lingered in the air after she'd left the room. He missed her compulsive tidying. He missed how she instinctively knew when he needed her.
At this point, he'd be willing to just about anything to regain his wife's favor.
"I will do anything to fix this, anything!" Draco vowed.
Arthur chuckled. "I knew I always liked you for a reason. Ginny loves you, you know?"
"She used to, at least, before last night," Draco whispered hoarsely. "I fucked up."
"Ah, that explains the frantic note then. What did you do?"
"Everything was going so well. The boys were happy and Ginny was in a good mood. She wanted to make up. I wanted to make up. Things were going so well…"
"I'm almost afraid to ask what happened."
Draco launched into a faltering recounting of the events that took place in the Malfoy household the previous evening. He held nothing back - spilled it all - every last bit - even the part where Ginny had accused him of treating her like a whore. Even showed him the ring he'd purchased in penitence. He no longer cared about what his father-in-law might to do him - nothing mattered anymore if his wife wouldn't forgive him.
Arthur sat back in his worn leather chair, deep in thought. "That's a right mess you've created, son."
"Yes sir, are you going to kill me now?" He at least wanted to be prepared if he was going to die.
"Of course not, but you are aware that you've broken the most sacred of the unwritten rules, are you not?"
"There are unwritten rules?" He felt stupid for even asking, because apparently there were unwritten rules - lots of them no one bothered to tell him about. He'd curse his father later when things weren't quite so dire.
"There are always unwritten rules. Draco, you never ever tell your wife that you purchased a gift for her just to get back into her bed." His father-in-law shook his head gravely.
"I know that now!"
"You're lucky to be alive, knowing Ginny's temper."
"It was a touch and go there for a minute."
Arthur poured them both another cup of tea and set out two of Molly's famous blueberry scones on the dainty floral china Ginny had purchased for her mother several years ago for Christmas.
"Now, I'm only going to tell you this once," the older wizard said seriously. "When after you've apologized to your wife and you still feel the urge to say something you must do this one very important thing…"
Draco slid up on the edge of his seat to get closer to the man who was going to save his marriage - he didn't want to miss a single word of the sacred wisdom that was about to be bestowed upon him. His father-in-law was possibly the most brilliant man every to walk on the face of the earth. "Yes," he whispered eagerly. "What is it?"
"Bite your tongue."
"Bite my tongue?" Draco echoed, confused. "What do you mean?"
"You're denser than I anticipated so I'm doubly impressed that you've survived this long. What I meant was bite your tongue - shut up - don't open your mouth! No matter how tempting it may be. No matter how she tries to lead you on. Do not say another word!"
"That's it?" he hissed, his hackles rising. Ginny's father had no clue what he was talking about. It was a colossal mistake to even think that he could help. He clearly didn't understand women. "Don't say another word after apologizing."
"Yes," Arthur answered.
"I don't believe you!"
"When did things go to hell last night with Ginny?"
"Right after I apologized to her."
"You kept talking didn't you?"
"Yes, she urged me to keep talking when I gave her the present. Oh!" His father-in-law smiled at him as the nauseating feeling of realization crept through his veins. "You mean if I had just kissed her instead of opening my mouth, all of this would be over?"
"Yes, and you'd probably still be in bed this morning working on another grandchild for Molly."
"Buggering hell, I was that close last night." Draco motioned a small distance between his index finger and thumb. "I can fix this," he said, feeling confident with his new knowledge.
"I don't think so," Arthur said with a shake of his head. "You broke an unwritten rule."
"What does that mean?"
"That means that you can't simply apologize or buy your way back in with a pretty trinket, no matter how expensive."
Draco felt all the blood drain from his body. Apologizing and buying expensive trinkets were the only the way he knew how to get back in Ginny's good graces. It had always worked before. Arthur was the only person who could help him now. "Oh god, what do I do now?"
"I don't know," Arthur said. "This is beyond my area of expertise. None of my sons have every blundered this badly before."
It was getting increasingly more difficult for Draco to contain his panic. Damn being a Malfoy, he'd get on his hands and knees to beg Arthur Weasley to help him if that was what was called for. "I love Ginny! I don't want to lose her over something so trivial! You've got to help me!"
"I know that, son," Arthur said calmly. "What I'm about to suggest could be very hazardous to your health."
"I don't care. I'm willing to try anything."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"I know of someone who might be willing to help-"
"Call them, now!" Draco cut off him off before he could finish.
"There is a distinct possibility you could die."
"I don't care! If there is chance I can fix things with Gin, then the risk is worth it!"
"All right, then." Arthur raised his voice and called out, "Molly love, can you come in here for a minute please?"
To be continued…
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