Green with Envy
"What about Pansy Parkinson?"
"…what about her? I was through with her at the end of my seventh year."
"Draco…need I remind you that this isn't about who you are and aren't through with. You don't necessarily get the last say in this, you know."
Draco looked up at his father; he knew that he was right. But hell, this was his life too; shouldn't he get to decide who he was going to marry? He didn't even bother glaring at his father, for no matter how fierce his gaze was, his father had one that was twice as fierce. They shared the same cold, slate gray eyes that could read a person, or just make a woman swoon.
"I know father."
Lucius stood from the table they were seated at and began pacing the room. "Now remember, she must be pureblood, no matter what."
"But aren't you supposed to be convincing the people that you don't care about bloodlines?"
Draco and Lucius turned to look at Narcissa, who until this point had remained silent throughout the discussion. Lucius arched an eyebrow at his wife of many years. "Narcissa, even something as big as finding a wife for Draco to win over the people and stay on the good side of the Ministry doesn't mean I will have some mud-blood or even half-blood besmirch the Malfoy name."
"What about Daphne Greengrass? She was in my year…not half bad looking either."
"Son, we don't exactly want another Slytherin. We'd like to stray a bit away from that."
"We'll you won't be pairing me off with a ruddy Hufflepuff and even Gryffindor is pushing it, father."
Lucius stopped pacing and turned his gaze towards his son, hadn't he just told him he didn't get the last say? "Draco, your father will be the one choosing in the end, you know that." Narcissa spoke up; she didn't want to hear the two arguing again. Many times had it happened and somehow she could end up in the middle of it all. Draco knew that his father would be victorious in nearly every argument they had, but he kept trying. He was a determined man, he was used to getting what he wanted, and the only person that could really stop him was his father.
"I've got it," Lucius said, bringing both Draco and Narcissa's eyes up to where he stood. He looked at both of them, looking as if he was considering his decision. "It will be tough convincing the family I'm sure, but in the end they will realize that we can give their daughter much more than they ever could."
"Oh come on, out with it already."
Lucius turned his gaze to just his son, his cane slamming hard into the ground. "You could very well spend the rest of your life sitting in this Manor, Draco. We don't have to do all of this for you."
"Lucius, please, who have you thought of?" Narcissa asked, massaging her temples.
Lightening up his glare he cleared his throat, "Ginevra Weasley."
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"Mother! How could you even think about agreeing to have me marry that, that oaf?"
"Ginny, please sit down and listen to what your mother and I have to say." Arthur Weasley said to his youngest child, his only daughter.
Ginny huffed, before taking a seat and crossing her arms over her chest. "Why would they pick me? Aren't there thousands of witches that actually want to marry him?"
"Ginny, we don't exactly know their reasoning for them picking you but think about the opportunities it could bring." Molly knew that her daughter was stubborn and if she didn't want something, there would be no reasoning with her.
"Mum, they're an awful family I don't want to be any part of it."
"But Gin, just think about it, you would be able to alert the Order if anything were to be happening if they were trying to bring Voldemort back…again. And…" Arthur trailed off, lowering his eyes to the table, "And anything your mother and I haven't been able to give you…you could get."
Molly reached over, taking her husbands hand in hers. "Mum, dad…I don't care about money. Love is more important that money. That family is incapable of loving, of even feeling."
"Now Ginny, we didn't raise you to judge people in that way."
"But it's not judging! Everyone knows it's true!"
"Ginevra Molly Weasley, you will not speak to your father and me in that tone."
"I am a grown woman, mother. I am nearly Twenty-four! You can not decide who I am going to marry. It's such a big part of my life," Ginny said, her eyes beginning to fill with tears.
"Ginny, please. I was married with two children by your age, if we don't set you up with someone your father and I won't be here to see any grandchildren from you." Molly told her, though it wasn't meant to sound rude, or degrading towards her daughter.
"So that's what this about? You're ashamed that I haven't married off yet and started adding to your little army of Weasley's? Thanks mom…you know, you're not getting on Ron about not being married!"
"Well Gin, he does have a girlfriend of two years now."
"Oh, Sod off!" Ginny yelled, grabbing her bag from the table and promptly stomping out of the burrow, not even looking to see if her parents were behind her before apparating to her own flat.
"Arthur," Molly said standing up. "We shouldn't have. Ginny's right. We can't force her to marry anyone she doesn't want to. We'll just have to floo her and apologize. Merlin…"
"Don't worry Molly," Arthur said, standing up also and kissing his wife on the top of her head. "We'll figure something out." Arthur now wished that he could go back to their meeting with Lucius and Narcissa, and disagreed to the whole thing. He would just have to face him tomorrow at work and tell him that Ginny replied no. Granted, he wouldn't be happy but it didn't matter to him. Lucius wasn't at the top of the food chain anymore, which was probably his main reason for making Draco do this.
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Ginny honestly couldn't believe the nerve of her parents as she threw her bag down on her coffee table and plopped down on her couch. They really thought that she'd be easily persuaded into marrying Draco Malfoy? Not only was he a git, but her brothers would never go for it either. She wasn't an idiot either; she knew Draco Malfoy was absolutely gorgeous. There was no way of denying it, but that didn't make up for the arse he could be.
Kicking off her shoes she looked around her flat. She was happy with the way she was living, her job with Witch Weekly was great, it didn't have the best pay but she lived off of it. If she were to marry Malfoy she wouldn't have to live from pay check to pay check, hell she probably wouldn't even have to work at all. If marrying him was to higher his status within the Ministry then surely she would be able to do something in there also?
Ginny was very involved with the Wizarding Community, she enjoyed helping out and she had a lot of ideas that could help the community. Starting with more Orphanages for children whose families had been lost in the war, which she surely couldn't do with her current job. Maybe she should go along with it? It wouldn't kill her and besides…there was this little thing invented called a Divorce. Perhaps after she'd finished what she needed to do she could file for one of those? As neither she nor Malfoy would care. It wasn't like she planned on falling in love with him or anything.
"I'll do it," she said aloud, convincing even herself with the tone of voice she used. This would have such a large impact on her life but hell; you had to take risks sometime.
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Bright and early the next morning Ginny apparted to The Burrow, it was always a bit odd being there now. Not because all of the children had moved out but rather, the silence throughout the entire house was a lonely one. The house itself hadn't known a quiet like this in many years. "Mum?" Ginny called out, as she walked into the living room. Glancing down at her watch she saw that it was just barely seven in the morning. She had to be at work in about an hour; she just figured she would stop by and tell her mum and dad what she had decided.
"I'm in the kitchen, Ginny." Her mum called out, which made her smile as she walked towards the kitchen. No matter what, Molly Weasley could always be found cooking. Even if there were hardly any people in the house, there would be enough for third helpings and perhaps even left overs.
"Good morning mum," Ginny said, pulling her messenger bag off her shoulder and placing it down by her feet. She kept all her papers in there; research, articles whatever she would need for work.
Molly wiped her floured hands off on her robe and walked to her daughter, placing a kiss on her cheek. Molly looked at Ginny, neither of them speaking. As Molly didn't want to bring up what they had discussed the other day, but Ginny did. After a short silence Molly figured she would just speak first, "Gin, let's just forget what we talked about yesterday, alright? It was wrong of your father and me to even think of asking you to do-"
"Mum, it's alright. I've thought about it and realized…that being higher in the ministry and the money I will be able to get…I can do a lot to help out the family, and our Wizarding community."
"But Ginny we can't ask you to marry someone to do that."
"Well I'm going to do it, even if I have to go up to Lucius Malfoy myself and tell him my reply."
"Only if you're sure, Gin."
"I'm sure, mum. I've grown up with sixth brothers, I'm sure I'll be able to take on the Ferret Boy."
Molly chuckled softly, reaching out and, rubbing the back of her hand along Ginny's cheeks, "Alright then. I'll floo your father at work and tell him what you've said."
"Good," Ginny said, taking a deep breath, it was starting to happen already. "I've got to go off to work now…oh hell, how am I going to tell everyone I work with that I'm going to marry Malfoy?"
"Language, darling."
"Bye mum," Ginny said before picking up her bag and apparating to the Witch Weekly office.
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Well there it is! My new fic and I hope you all like it and are looking forward to more! This is for a challenge over in the PK Forums (D/G Challenges, of course). Uhm if the little line break design I put to symbolize when it's a new scene I'm sorry =( I don't know what to do for PK *shrug* Well, anyhoo please review and tell me what you think and If I should continue or not! Also, look at my writing journal. www.livejournal.com/users/x_scriblen_x and you can find my writing place. Plus I am doing the fanfic100 and Potterverse100!