Chapter 25
Path to the Future
A/N: My muse, Maggie, is simple girl. All she likes are plot bunnies and reviews. So be kind to Maggie and feed her review cookies please.
Big thanks to my beta Lbandoly for her hard work. She has spent countless hours editing and providing plot help for my stories. She makes my writing possible.
No copyright infringement intended. All characters are the property of JKR, Scholastic, and any number of other companies with more money than I've ever dreamed of seeing. I didn't make any money off of this, so please don't sue.
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The days following the press conference proved hectic and more than a little trying to not only Draco and Ginny but their families as well. Upon returning to the manor Draco and Ginny had been greeted by a howler from one truly irate Pansy Rutherford nee Parkinson. The following day was greeted by no less than two dozen owls from former friends of the two, each requesting an audience with the couple. For several days the outer most border of the grounds of Malfoy Manor were inundated with reporters from any and every wizarding newspaper and magazine from the world over. Everyone in the home was thankful for rather large property with wards centuries old that kept the inquiring minds far away from the family's view. For not the first time in his life Draco found that the high stone walls of the English Manor held comfort away from the outside world. He found that he had missed that a bit more than he had ever thought he would.
Despite the outside obsession by the general public around their return, life moved on. The reason for their return to Britain was pending and weighed heavily on the minds of the inhabitants of Malfoy Manor and the Burrow. In a week Serenity would board the train to Hogwarts. There were still things to do and people to see before she left. Life simply did not slow down because the people around them were curious.
Narcissa stole Ginny away just after breakfast the morning after the announcement to go over the welcome home ball as she was calling it. Draco had only laughed when Ginny had given him a pleading look begging him to get her off the hook. He knew better than try to dissuade his mother from her extravagance. It wouldn't do any good if he did try to stop her, she would continue on with it anyway. He laughed at Ginny and reminded her that he had warned her weeks before. That same warning had been her sole excuse for purchasing a particular Vera Wang dress that she'd had her eye on for some time.
Ginny had been pleased to find out that the actual planning was completed. The menu was set and already in the hands of Narcissa's favorite catering crew. The flowers would be delivered and set up the morning of the ball. Warm tones of the season would make up the decorations. Warm red, gold, and orange lilies and irises would make up the arrangements set among ivy. The garden would be host to the entire event as the weather was unseasonably warm for the season. A dance in the warm summer night sounded just romantic to the women. Invitations had been printed and sat waiting on Narcissa's desk waiting to be addressed and owled. It was said task that occupied the better portion of the day for Ginny and Narcissa. Ginny had repressed a groan when Narcissa insisted that each invitation must be addressed by hand instead of using a more plebeian self-addressing spell that would have automatically addressed the invitations from a list of invited guests.
The following few days passed in a haze of visits from childhood friends and acquaintances. Most had been considerate enough to send missives ahead to request a visit. However other's had not been so thoughtful showing up at the gate to the manor or worse in the front hall for those few that had direct access past the wards from a time gone by like rudderless waifs seeking out the couple for reasons unknown. Draco and Ginny turned more than one visitor away without question while other's they had ushered in quite happily. Some of the visits had been pleasant more than a few had not been.
Draco had against his better judgment agreed to have Pansy over for lunch two days after the public announcement of their return only to have her react like a screeching banshee. Her reasoning, Ginny had stolen her man. That comment had brought forth gales of laughter from Draco and Ginny. Ginny knew for a fact Draco had tolerated the witch when they were younger because he felt he must because of his father but as he had put it, his nickname may have been something along the lines of being a "sex god" which he claimed was highly exaggerated, but hers was "broom" and it wasn't because she was good with cleaning charms. There was hardly a male in Slytherin and Ravenclaw houses that didn't know who to contact if they wanted a good "ride". While he couldn't say for sure he assumed that Hufflepuff and Gryffindor were much the same. Had they been a little less bound by their sense of honor they may well have aided in spreading rumors about the "Slytherin Broom."
However it was the most unladylike snort of skepticism from Narcissa that seemed to set Pansy on edge the most. Lady Malfoy had all but stated she knew a relationship between the young Miss Parkinson and her son would never have come to anything without having said a word. It pissed Pansy off like nothing else possibly could have. Pansy proceeded to make a scene inquiring why "Cissa the willowy bitch" thought she wasn't good enough for her son. Several truthful but damning comments about Miss Parkinson's extracurricular activities and her son's penchant for not likening anything less than perfectly untouched were all it took for Narcissa to cut the younger witch to the core.
In a desperate show of emotion Pansy had flown at Cissa and Ginny in a blind rage hurling hexes and curses in their direction. Draco finally resorted to a well placed stunning spell on the irate witch. He had Uric usher the witch back to her aged husband with a note that none-too-politely requested she never seek his presence again lest she wish legal trouble that she wouldn't be able to "sex her way out of." He completely missed the afternoon meal for keying the property wards to no longer allow her access to the grounds in any fashion. The task had taken him well over three hours and had left him grumbling about "archaic wards cast by dunderheaded wizards" long dead. Ginny had laughed to herself as she watched her husband fuss at anything that would listen but refrained from commenting on his ability to sound very much like his godfather when he was annoyed with a situation.
The visit with Blaise had been one of the more pleasant visits the couple had during the entire week.
The familiar pop of Uric apparating into the room preceded the tiny being into the back sitting room. "Master Draco there is a Mr. Blaize Zabini ins the front hall sir. Hes says hes wishes to speaks to your sir. Shall I sends him aways sir?"
Draco popped out of his seat in a flash. "No not at all. I'll see him in myself actually. Could you set tea out in the library for two please?"
"Yes sir." The elf popped away as quickly as he had come.
Draco rounded into the main hall to find Blaise leaning against the wall next to the portrait of some long dead ancestor he was couldn't name if pressed. "Blaise Zabini, you've got some nerve showing up here." Draco was grinning from ear to ear as he threw his arms around the taller man.
Blaise laughed. "I've got nerve? Hum, you're the one hugging me. You might want to reevaluate the situation my friend." He returned the hug then stepped back, each man eyed the other. "I'll be damned Draco you're still shorter than I am. I always thought you would pass me eventually."
"Oh for Merlin's sake, make it sound like I'm short why don't you?"
"No, just shorter than me," he replied with a laugh. The two chatted as they walked to the quiet of the library. Each took a seat on the leather sofa that sat in front of the empty hearth. "So Mr. Prodigal, how have you been?"
"Really very good considering how things were when I saw you last. How are you?"
"A thousand times better than I was when I saw you last. I assume you've heard I have begun my own business."
Draco nodded. "I did. Uncle Severus told me when he first came to visit. He didn't elaborate though. What are you doing?"
"Large scale financial systems. I actually do a bit of work in both the wizard and muggle words. It's all mainly asset value determinations and whatnot in the wizard world. Not much to do except see that the rich know how much money they really have. In truth most of it is for those who are paranoid of the goblins helping themselves to the contents of their vaults. The muggle world is entirely more fun. Investment banking in the muggle world is challenging and rather risky. Makes for a nice balance."
"Muggle investment banking? You know I can see you doing that. So what type investments do you work with; stocks, bonds, what?"
"Everything I can and then some. I've got my hand in a little of this and that and pretty much all of the other."
"Sounds like you enjoy it."
"I do. It's certainly a more fun and rewarding way to go about earning billions without getting my hands dirty if you understand my meaning."
Draco nodded. He knew very well the rumors regarding Blaise's mother were entirely true. She was a classic black widow. The woman set out to find men with heavy wallets, married them, and then killed them just to get her hands of their fortunes. "I do indeed."
Blaise picked up the cup of steaming tea that Uric had placed by his seat and took a drink before going on with their conversation. "I didn't come here to talk all about me. What have you been doing with yourself besides being married to one hot little Gryff and having a parcel of children?"
"Running the family vineyard in Italy." He couldn't repress a grin. He absolutely loved talking about the vineyard.
"Wine? Why does that not surprise me? Leave it to you to find something utterly civilized to do with your life. Though doesn't that require you actually get those pretty hands of yours dirty? I have to say I don't recall you enjoying the idea of dirty hands very much unless there was a cauldron and potions ingredients involved."
"It does indeed. By the time I took it over I was well over my aversion to dirty anything. Living in a rundown hell hole for a year with only a hope, a prayer, and the good graces of Ginny keeping me alive did plenty to change my quirks."
Blaise sat up, leaning his forearms on his knees. "Excuse me? I think I'm missing some relevant information somewhere in there. Care to start at the beginning?"
Draco finished off the tea he had been drinking slowly on. "Sit back my old friend, it's a long tale. You knew about the plan. The thing I was working on during sixth year?"
"I would have to have been blind to not see it. The coming and going at odd hours, the jumpy reactions to everything, the tears you cried when you thought I was already asleep. I assumed when he died you were the cause, no offense."
"None taken. I tried. But I couldn't. Little did I know that Severus had taken a vow with my mother to do it if I couldn't. He knew."
"The headmaster knew? No certainly not."
"I didn't believe it either till Severus sent a few preserved memories to me after he and McGonagall found us. Severus told the headmaster what mother had made him promise. Turns out the old man was dieing; something to do with dark magic from what I understand. I don't have the full story on that one. I suspect the only two that do are my godfather and Harry Potter. Dumbledore asked Severus to do it in my stead, to hold to the oath he had taken with my mother and do it."
"Hold to the oath. You make it sound like he took a wizard oath with her."
"He did. He risked his own life to save mine and I didn't even know it."
"So you spent a year worried about every shadow you crossed planning on killing a man only to not do it at the last minute and have Severus do it for you?"
"Pretty much yes."
"When the whole mess was over I got more than my fair share of punishment from the Dark Lord, but nothing like I got from dear Aunt Bella, the crazy bitch. She left me for dead in an alley only a few streets over from the headquarters of the Order. Purely accidental I'm told since according to those who know the headquarters is still hidden even now. That's neither here nor there now is it? Anyway as I was saying, Aunt Bella dumped me damn near dead in that alley. By pure coincidence Ginny's mum sent her out to the muggle market down the street to grab milk or some such that afternoon. She found me. Long story really short, she took pity on me and nursed me back to health. Somewhere in there I fell in love with her and her with me. She fell pregnant. Not half an hour after she told me we got caught by none other than Weasel himself."
"Ron? Tough luck that is man."
"You're telling me. He tossed a threat or a dozen. I agreed to stay away from her. I loved her, but I couldn't risk him hurting her or our child so I expected that to be it. She would be gone and I would never see my child. Thankfully I was wrong. She couldn't stay away and didn't. A month later we left. Mum sent me to the vineyard. We've been there ever since. Well she has. I did come back long enough to make it look like I was killed in the final battle."
"Well can I just say you did a bloody fine job of it mate. Guess they'll have to take your names off the memorials now."
"Memorials? What are you talking about?"
"You haven't been to Diagon Alley or Hogsmead since you've been back? You couldn't have missed them if you did."
"No we have plans to go tomorrow to Diagon to purchase Sere's things for school. The entire Weasley clan goes at once apparently. Ginny insisted we join the madness. Not that I mind. They are a rather entertaining group when they are all together at home. I can only imagine what shopping with that group is going to be like. Now tell me what memorials?"
"There were memorials erected in both Diagon Alley and Hogsmead to list the names of the dead. No Deatheaters mind you, but everyone else from the first and second wars. Those people who died directly or indirectly due to the war were inscribed on the memorial closest to their home or place of death. Your name is on the one in Hogsmead as the final battle was at Hogwarts. Ginny's should be on the one in Diagon because she was living in London when she went missing. Your name was one of the last listed because they refused to list your name till you were cleared of all charges as a Deatheater. Your mum fought tooth and nail to allow it. It may be the last name on the list now that I think about it. I can't say I've stopped and looked at it in the past few years but I do remember the article in the Prophet saying it was being added so I know it's there."
Draco sat in the high back leather chair stunned. Of all the things he expected to find when he came home, his name engraved in a monument was not one of them. Maybe he should have read one of the papers that had been delivered over the years instead of burning most of them without so much as a backward glance. "I don't suppose it's the kind of thing you can walk past and miss is it?"
Blaise laughed. "Not hardly; both are several heads high. You can't miss either. Towering sculptures cut out of granite the both of them."
"Please tell me they aren't both of Potter? Pseudo brother-in-law or not the entire idea of seeing Potter immortalized in stone just doesn't do it for me."
"Neither actually. Apparently he flat out refused. He threatened to destroy anything erected that looked like him in the slightest. I almost want to think he would have. But they didn't test his resolve. The one in Diagon is a bit like the muggle Washington Monument in the United States; very similar in design but a good deal shorter. It's maybe 4 meters high or so, give or take. It's nice. The one in Diagon is a good deal more elaborate. Its two wands crossed. They are actually fountains; water flows out the tip of each down into a pool that surrounds the base. The names on it constantly circle the base. It's extremely annoying to try and read let me tell you. The Hogsmead one is by far the better of the two."
"That sounds all together tacky. Who thought that up?"
"I'm not sure. I know Granger is credited for the Hogsmead one, I can't recall who designed the Diagon one. I want to say there was a contest to design that one, but I don't know so don't quote me."
"Don't worry I won't." Draco shook his head knowing he was going to have to see the tackier of the two the next day whether he liked it or not.
"So you told me how you left. What happened once you left?"
"Not a whole lot of anything truthfully. The vineyards took up most of our time. The caretaker had remained over the years so the vines were in good enough shape to harvest that first year though we had to replace nearly the rest of the operation. It wasn't the best wine every sold, but it did sell amazingly enough. Ginny had Isaac not long after the final battle. A few years past, we had Serenity and Katharine. Up until Isaac got his letter from the magic school in Milan we were successful in staying out of the magic world save for the extremely rare trip into the small magical village nearest us for items that neither of us could give up. In truth we have lead a very quiet, mostly muggle life since we left here up until Uncle Severus and the Headmistress showed up on our front lawn."
"You make that sound as if it's a bad thing."
"I don't mean to. We are very glad to have our families back. But I can't deny that I miss the quiet routine our lives had taken on. It's been manic since they showed up with Sere's letter, one stress behind another for weeks on end now. I don't enjoy stress as I'm sure you recall."
"That I do."
"Anyway all this talk about me and all I know about you is that you've taken to managing other people's money while making a boat load of it for yourself at the same time. How did you get into that in the first place?"
"How do I get into anything ever? A witch of course."
"No way? The mighty Zabini let a woman get him into trouble, never." Draco laughed at his own sarcasm.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up short man but that witch has made me a much richer man and she doesn't even know it."
"How pray tell could she have missed it?"
"We only dated a few months. She was a muggleborn. Pretty little thing, long legs that went on forever, curling blonde hair that went to her arse, ruby red lips. Oh I digress. She came into some money after a great-aunt or something passed on. She decided to invest it. She wanted funds to retire on I believe. I helped her look into what would be the best way to have that money make her more money. It didn't take long to realize I have a knack for it. I ended up going to a muggle university to get a degree in finance. I've been making money hand over fist for years now."
"Well nice to know you know how to do something other than bed witches."
He laughed. "I always did, but bedding witches was so much more fun."
"Which is why there is no Mrs. Zabini?"
"I have no wife because I've yet to find one I wanted to keep that wanted to keep me. I gave some serious thought to asking Bridget to marry me, but when I found out she had no desire to ever have children I quickly put and end to all thoughts of being with her. For the past several years I've just been too busy to seek out a long term relationship. Witches take time, time I don't have. My work takes a good deal out of me. The wizard bank may close at six, but the muggle world of money never does."
"You work too hard."
"You're gonna tell me you don't?"
"Of course I don't. I work, quite a good deal I promise you but I never overwork. All work and no play leads to a very grumpy Ginny. Grumpy Ginny equals sexless me. So no overworking. You need to find a witch man. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you are getting older. If you want children you're going to have to have a woman to do it."
"I know that."
"Then get your head out of your arse and find one."
"You make it sound like I'm suppose to put and advertisement in the Prophet that will bring them flocking to my door."
Draco laughed. "I'm sure they would if you did."
"No thank you. I get enough riff raff coming through my office. I don't need more seeking my bed thank you."
"Suit yourself man, but when you end up a hundred and ten with no children and no life don't come complaining to me that you missed your time."
"Well aren't you just the supportive one?"
"I'm calling it like I see it. You want the family but won't put aside the work that's stopping you from having it."
"Okay but you still could be friendlier about it."
"Sure because you would honestly take it in stride if I did. Anyway I'll warn you now mother sent out invitations to a welcome home ball yesterday."
"I know. It was on my desk this morning. There was no mistaking that seal. Sounds like a lovely affair. She was very clear to include `and guest'."
"Of course she was and I can guarantee you if you show up without some pretty little thing on your arm she's either going to assume you're a poof or that you are insulting her by not bringing someone you care for."
"Heaven forbid I insult your mother by not bringing a guest to your party."
"I'm just warning you. You can take the information and use it how you see fit."
"Again with not helping a brother out."
"No this one you have to do for yourself. This isn't fourth year; I can't go ask the witch out for you."
Blaise laughed. "Blimey and here I was hoping you would go ask that pretty little strumpet that works at the Hogshead to go with me."
Draco shuddered at the thought. Any witch working in that place was bound to be as ugly as a blast-ended screwt and as dirty as a Knockturn Alley whore. "Okay that my friend is just nasty."
The rest of the afternoon went much the same. The two talked until dinner when Blaise finally took his leave promising he would be back "with bells on" for the ball, complete with a witch on his arm.
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