Lisa David Normal Lisa David 61 15 1999-08-09T22:46:00Z 1999-08-09T23:02:00Z 5 2118 12074 Sunlight 100 24 14827 9.2720
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, so anything you recognize from canon is NOT mine. I do own the plot.
A/N:
First of all, thank you THANK YOU to all the reviewers.
Sorry I haven't been updating it here. I thought I might as well finish BOD on PK. Here's the third chapter, a chapter that was considered controversial (not really, but somewhat) on FFN.
A few notes before we go on:
Weasleys are OOC-yes, I'm aware of that. There used to be a planned sequel to explain, but it would be AU in face of new canon facts. There will be a weak reason supplied near the end, and I'm sorry but you must satisfy yourself with that.
French-er, that's not my fault. I took my FFN reviewers' suggestions, so it'll be kind of pointless if you flame me about THAT.
Posting on Porktey-to the reviewer who asked me very "nicely" why I'm posting this here when I've already posted this on FFN: look, I don't see a problem with that to start with, but if it satisfies you to know, I'm removing my R-rated story from FFN and posting it here. Got a problem with that? >,<
If any of you are a FFN reviewer, I'm inviting you to review again, because that copy would soon cease to exist except for a thank-you page and a link to this one.
And now, without further ado, I present…chapter three!
Bride of a Dragon By: Katrina/Katie
Three: Conversation
From the look in Draco's eyes when they fell on the necklace Ginny was wearing, that look of recognition, Ginny knew immediately that he remembered that night as well as she did.
"Virginia Weasley," he said finally in a voice that suggested that he was stating a fact.
His face had become impassive and Ginny couldn't tell if he were even anxious or anguished in any way. However, she masked her face as well with the look of triumph, even though she was feeling perhaps even more nervous than he was. She had never done anything like this. Hogwarts sure never taught me anything, she thought sarcastically.
"We meet again, Draco," she said, keeping her voice as even as Draco.
His eyes flickered toward her necklace again and then at Molly. Ginny knew that even with the features Molly had inherited from Ginny herself, Molly Weasley's Malfoy heritage was undeniable. Although a smirk was playing at his lips, she could see that Draco was thinking.
"Do you have an appointment?" he asked.
Of all the things Ginny expected him to say, it definitely was not that. "No," she replied. "But-" and then she caught the hint. "Why yes, I made one for this evening. Your secretary said that it would be possible for me to have a…er…private meeting with you…" As if THAT is going to happen, Ginny thought as she looked hesitantly back at the butler and then at the woman on Draco's lap, who had her arms tightly wound around Draco's neck still. She looked even more elegant than her picture on the newspaper, which was saying a lot. And the stunning outfit she was wearing immediately made Ginny feel shabby and stupid.
Colette Atort, Ginny thought, putting her hands on Molly's shoulders instinctively and squeezing them for reassurance, although she thought that she actually needed more assurance than her daughter.
The fiancée of Draco's eyes narrowed. "Really," she said, looking from Draco to Ginny as she slowly disentangled herself from Draco. "I definitely do not recall such a mention of a meeting this evening, Draco. Can this matter not wait until tomorrow?"
"This is a private matter between Mr. Augustus and I," said Ginny. "I hope you'll understand that this matter cannot wait."
"I happen to be his fiancée, Miss…Weasley is it, and I feel that I would have the right to know why another woman would demand to see my husband-to-be so urgently. Can this not wait until tomorrow?"
Draco was about to say something, but it was Molly who spoke up. Turning to her mother, she said, "Mommy, why was this woman hugging Daddy before?"
~*~
Molly might as well have dropped a bomb. "Daddy?" repeated Colette, her beautiful face twisted by horror. "Draco, this is absolutely outrageous. This girl is claiming that you are her father?"
My WHAT? Draco's mouth opened slightly, feeling as if he'd swallowed a lemon. My daughter? He didn't know what to think. True, he did suspect that when Ginny had come in with that girl, but he didn't think…. You did, a voice in his head said sternly. You knew. Why else would she look so much like a Malfoy? Draco had to admit that yes, Molly did resemble his mother a lot, especially with the golden hair and her endearing eyes. And he doubted if his father could have sired this girl.
"Colette, listen," he said weakly, cursing Ginny Weasley with all his heart. "Listen to me. This is a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?" Colette snorted as she stood up, dusting her elegant suit. "I have doubts, but I certainly hope so. There is absolutely no way that you could have sired a daughter. Why, she doesn't even resemble you." Which isn't quite true, Draco thought. "Get out of here, you slut!" Colette yelled to Ginny. "And never come back!"
Ginny's face flushed. Draco saw her brown eyes narrow. "Ginny-" he tried to stop her, but the legendary Weasley temper erupted.
"Miss Colette Françoise Atort," Ginny said, anger evident in her tone. "I believe that it may be better if you are informed as well, then. Whether you want to believe it or not, since it isn't up to you to decide the paternity of my daughter, your fiancé is indeed the father of my daughter!"
"C'est impossible!" shouted Colette. "Draco, tell her that she is wrong."
Draco's mouth went dry. He indeed wanted to do that as well as Colette clearly wanted to hear it, but he couldn't. He knew perfectly well that there was a large chance that he was the girl's father. "Colette, listen," he said, putting a hand on her shaking shoulder to calm her down, but she shook him off. "Listen to me…"
She whipped around, fury flaring in her blue eyes. "So she is your daughter?" she spat. "Well, I had always thought of you as…more or less a virgin." At that, Ginny rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "You lied to me." She snatched up her fancy handbag and straightened out her brown curls. "You better have an explanation for this, Draco Augustus," she said as she stormed toward the door. Then she turned to look at Ginny and the girl. "And you," she said, her voice dangerously cold. "You better wish you've never been born."
Ginny did not flinch at these words. "What happened to your aristocratic manners?" she asked mockingly.
"Tais-toi!" shrieked Colette, storming out of the office. Her high heels could soon be heard, clicking, as Colette stomped toward the elevator.
Draco closed his eyes, shaking with dread. When he opened them, he saw the butler still standing in the same place, his face awed and surprised. "Well, Pierre?" he barked, pointing at the door. "Miss Weasley and I have an appointment."
With a scared look, the butler hurried out of the office as quickly as his legs could carry him.
Draco sank back into his chair. "Virginia Weasley," he finally spoke through clenched teeth. "What is the meaning of this?"
"The news is six years late," she said. "But better late than never, don't you agree?" Ginny gently pushed her daughter forward. "Molly, go and give Daddy a hug."
Molly lingered hesitantly. "I'm scared," she said. "He seems so mad and mean."
Ginny glared at Draco. "She has been worshipping you ever since she could talk, Draco Malfoy," she said in a voice that could've sounded sweeter had it not been so scornful. "Very nice impression you've left her." In a gentler tone, she told Molly, "Go on, honey; Daddy is just tired."
Molly went up to Draco and on tiptoes put her arms tentatively around Draco. Draco caught Ginny's warning glance, but she didn't need to. The little girl worked her magic for him. He felt his arms go automatically around the girl who, after all, was his daughter. Inside his mind, a voice was screaming. What are the chances of conceiving a baby? Draco smirked wryly to himself. Guess I got lucky.
He didn't like the news any better, however. As much as his heart unwillingly softened toward Molly, he wished that Ginny had never shown up with the news. Molly finally broke free of the hug with a huge smile on her face. "Wait till I tell Lily!" she said happily. "Do you have a lot of presents for me?"
Ginny cut in. "Of course, sweetie," she said. "Daddy brought a lot of presents, but they are at his house. Now sweetie," she said, conjuring up a mini television and setting it on a couch on the other side of the office. "Go and watch your favorite cartoon, sweetheart. Daddy and I need to talk."
Molly happily skipped off toward the couch, but not before she gave Draco a last big grin. Draco felt himself smiling back at the obvious innocent childishness of the little girl. "I'm surprised," Ginny's voice cut through his thoughts. "I thought you would act mean and deny."
"I wish I could," said Draco. "But where else could the girl have gotten her beautiful Malfoy eyes? From Potter?" He snorted. "But that does not mean that I like your news any better. If you know what's good for yourself, I suggest you keep it to yourself." He paused. "I didn't exactly appreciate the way you broke it to my fiancée."
"I am sorry about that, but as you remember, she happened to start it," said Ginny coolly, conjuring up a chair for her. "And I'm not here for small talk either."
Draco heaved a sigh. "Name a sum," he said. "I will pay for all the fees Molly might have cost you and your family."
Ginny sighed. "Draco, what Molly needs isn't a mound or heap of Galleons," she said softly. "What she needs is a father. Someone who can be there for her birthdays, for holidays, for all special occasions when she might need him. She needs someone to read bedtime stories to her-"
"And I'm supposed to be the candidate for that?" Draco rolled his eyes. "Go make an appointment with Saint Potter. He'd love to."
"He and Ron happened to have done that for the past five years," said Ginny coldly. "But even Harry has his own family to tend to, don't you agree? And I believe it's your responsibility, since half of your genes made Molly."
"And I'm supposedly going to be a good father," said Draco dryly.
"I should hope so," Ginny said. "But on second thought, you can give Molly both money and a father. Goodness knows I need to repay some of my family's debts." Her face darkened at the mention of her family. Draco didn't want to think about what might've caused the reaction. He would feel guilty. And Malfoys do not feel guilt.
"Is that all you want?" asked Draco. "Or do you want something else?" Ginny smiled. "What else do you want, then?" demanded Draco.
"You," replied Ginny simply.
Draco frowned at her. "Me?" he said. "What? Why?"
"I want you to marry me, that's what," said Ginny. "I think it's only proper that Molly has a legitimate father."
This is ridiculous. "Virginia Weasley," Draco said very slowly. "I think you are perfectly aware of the fact that I am about to be married."
"Yes," Ginny answered. "To the violent Frenchwoman whom I have just observed in the act."
"Then you would understand why it's impossible that I would oblige to that order," said Draco. "It's already all over the newspapers and magazines, the news of the upcoming marriage."
"With a person whom you, I assume, do not love for who she is, but for the wealth she possess," added Ginny sardonically.
"And Virginia, need I remind you that I do not love you any more, and that you do not even have the attraction of wealth that Colette happens to have?" said Draco.
Ginny grinned, not exactly the response Draco expected. "Then how about let's make a bet?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.
~*~
"A bet?" Draco looked perplexed.
"In which either I blackmail you or you at least give me the permission to try and seduce you," explained Ginny. She waited for Draco's reaction. That was actually an unexpected twist to the whole situation. Everybody else had made it seem so easy, as if Draco would greet she and Molly with open arms and propose at first sight.
But currently Ginny didn't want to marry Draco just so she could divorce and insult him. Now that she thought about it, she realized how much Molly truly needed Draco, not as a piggybank, but as a father. She saw how joyous it made Molly to just hug Draco, a father who had been furious just moments before. And she certainly could not forget the looks of longing on Molly's faces whenever Harry and Ron come to visit with their children. It's not just about me getting revenge, Ginny thought, thinking how devastated Molly would be if she indeed did insult Draco by doing that.
Of course, Draco was the last person she would've chosen to be Molly's father. Even Colin Creevy would've been more suitable had he not married already to Anna Blanca, a Muggle friend of his. All Draco was capable of doing was to smirk, say mean things, and smirk some more, as far as Ginny was concerned with. She would've never guessed nor thought in her wildest dreams that she would be begging and forcing Draco to marry her. "This is retarded," she muttered softly to herself.
Draco seemed to be doing some thinking of his own. "And what will you blackmail me with?" he spoke in a taunting tone. "That you had sex with me and we produced a child?"
Ginny looked straight into his gray eyes. "Not exactly," she said. "I happen to know a few Death Eaters, former ones shall I say, who would love to learn about your whereabouts, since your father's departure nearly send them to the dementors in Azkaban. I assure you that they won't treat you like a king."
It worked. Draco's face blanched even more if such was possible. "And how do you propose that you seduce me?" he asked.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out," Ginny said. "If I can't make you like me by the time of your wedding…then I'll go back to Britain and never show up again, as long as you pay for Molly's tuition."
"And if I do fall in love with you?"
It was Ginny's turn to roll her eyes. "That's kind of obvious, isn't it?" she said.
Draco nodded reluctantly. "I have to marry you." A hard look settled in his eyes. "But I won't fall in love with you, Virginia."
"We'll see, won't we?" said Ginny. "Molly, we're going!"
Molly came running over and gave Draco another big hug. When they broke apart, Ginny looked at Draco's gray eyes carefully. The message they held was clear. He wasn't about to lose the bet.
"Goodbye, Virginia. Goodbye, Molly," said Draco.
"Bye, Daddy!" cried Molly as she and Ginny started to exit. But when they reached the door, Ginny looked back at him again. She knew that he saw the same message in her eyes. I am not about to lose, either.
A/N: Before I start burning from the flames you'll send (and trust me, I despise flamers), I want to make one thing clear: the previous and this chapter have been criticized mostly heavily at FFN (but the reviewers are mostly civilized in doing so) and I know that you may think it's lame/characterization off/whatever. I will revise the story when I have the time or energy, and some of the little details here may contribute to the big picture, so no presumptions here, please.
Here are the things others have criticized me on:
Ginny being a horrible mother-exposing daughter to possible danger
Draco accepting everything so soon
The Bet very clichéd
Feeling sorry for Colette
I welcome reviews and c/c's that hasn't been listed above. Thank you.
D/G interaction coming
Katie