A/N- Sorry for the super long wait! I've been so wrapped up in school, plus my other WIPs, that this particular fic fell to the wayside. But, I am now actively working on this story again. Thanks to my wonderful beta, Lady Laurelin, for sticking with me for so long!
The Prince - Chapter 5
24 December 1997 - Christmas Eve
Day of the Malfoy Christmas Ball
"Why can't I see your dress, Ginny?"
Ever since Narcissa and Ginny's escapade across England and France, it seemed that knowing what Ginny's dress looked like was the only thing that Draco could think about. He claimed he wanted to make sure she looked the part of a Malfoy paramour.
Ginny whirled around to face him, mouth firmly set in a scowl. "For the last time, Draco, no, you cannot see the bloody dress!"
"But, Gin, -"
"No buts, Draco. Besides, don't you trust your mother's judgement?"
"Yes, I do, Ginny, but I just -"
"Then you have nothing to worry about," Ginny finished with a smile, patting Draco's cheek.
The blond young man glared at his girlfriend's retreating form, then scowled at thoughts of her unwillingness to cooperate these last few days.
Ginny said he was obsessed, something he found highly illogical. Draco saw no fault in wanting to ensure that his girlfriend looked amazing.
After she had said 'no' the first time, that she wanted it to be a surprise, he quickly formulated a plan of action. He would just keep asking her about it until she broke down.
When Ginny had asked if he trusted his mother's judgement he had answered honestly - of course he trusted his mother's opinion, but well, he just wanted to see the dress himself to be sure.
Draco slumped down in the plush armchair he was sitting in, extending his legs as his arms dangled over the arms of the chair.
He needed to see that blasted dress!
Suddenly, inspiration hit.
Springing out of his position in the chair, Draco ran next door to Ginny's room, knowing for a fact that Ginny was currently having tea in the atrium with his mother, but, more importantly, Ginny's dress was in her closet.
Draco smirked as he walked over to the closet, opening the two doors with a triumphant flourish.
He began sifting through Ginny's clothes, letting out a small "A-ha!" once he found a white garment bag with Adrienne's familiar fleur- de- lis insignia embroidered on the front.
Draco pulled the garment bag out of Ginny's closet, walked over to her bed and gently laid it on its surface.
He glanced around to make sure that neither Ginny nor his mother would come in at anytime. Exhaling deeply, he slowly pulled down the zipper of the bag.
He could see the maroon-coloured hanger. Slowly. Very Slowly. Ginny would kill him if he snagged the zipper on her dress.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy! What in the name of Merlin do you think you're doing?"
Draco whipped his head to see Narcissa and a very irate Ginny standing next to her.
Oh, shit.
"I thought Ginny told you to stay away from that dress?" Narcissa began, striding over to her son. "You couldn't wait until tonight? You couldn't have a little faith in not only Ginny's judgement, but in my own as well?"
Great. Now Draco felt like an absolute wanker for obsessing over something so foolish.
He chanced a glance over at Ginny who was trying to decide if she was angry with him or if she should break down in tears. Right now she just looked pissed.
"Gin?" Draco asked hopefully, attempting a smile.
Ginny shook her head. "No, Draco. Not this time. Please leave my room."
"Look, Ginny, --"
"Get out!"
Draco nodded in acquiescence and defeat, walking out of Ginny's room.
As soon as Draco was out of Ginny's sight, she ran to the bed, sobbing into a pillow.
Narcissa carefully zipped back up the garment bag, placing it in the closet before coming to rest beside Ginny.
She rubbed the crying girl's back, uttering words of comfort in hopes of consoling her.
"Don't worry, Ginny, dear. I know my son can do incredibly stupid things most of the time, but he only does it because he cares. In some warped, rather impossible to understand way, he truly does care," Narcissa stated with a serene smile.
Ginny sniffed, tuning over onto her back, shifting her gaze over to Narcissa.
"I know he cares, Narcissa, but sometimes it's just so difficult to deal with him."
The Malfoy matriarch looked at Ginny quizzically. "Really?"
Ginny nodded her head emphatically. "He's incredibly possessive, and if I'm not in his company for more than an hour, he always assumes the worst - that I've left him for another boy, or that I'm off having some secret tryst with Harry."
"Harry Potter?"
Ginny nodded again. "But I haven't the slightest idea as to where he is right now. I haven't heard from him in months."
"That bit aside, much of what you said sounds quite a bit like that the way Lucius was, and to a certain extent, still is."
Ginny raised a sceptical eyebrow.
"I know it may not seem like it now, but when my parents publicly announced our engagement my sixth year and Lucius's seventh, he made sure that every boy in Hogwarts knew that I was taken."
"Lemme guess. Did he walk you to every class?"
Narcissa nodded.
"Made sure that you sat with him at every possible meal?"
Another nod.
"Study with him and only him? Have his friends and/or cronies report back to him on my whereabouts? Hex any guy that comes within a three metre radius of you?"
"Yes to all of those things," Narcissa replied with a laugh. "I had a talk with Lucius, though, and he's not as outwardly possessive as he once was."
"But what about this whole dress situation?"
"Ah, well, I think it mainly has to do with his pride more than anything. He just wanted to make sure that his girlfriend looked better than all the other girls there. Again, Lucius is the exact same way."
"Should I say something to him?"
"No. Let him come to you. If he's the man I know he really is, he'll realize that he needs to apologize to you for worrying about something so trivial."
Ginny smiled and wrapped her arms around Narcissa's neck, pulling the older woman in for a hug. "Thank you, Narcissa. I truly do appreciate all that you have done for me these past few days."
"It's no trouble at all, dear. You're the first out of all the girls that Draco has either dated or is acquainted with that I genuinely like. And many of my high society friends do not provide very stimulating conversation and I get that with you. I hope my son does not do anything else incredibly childish in nature for I would love to call you daughter. Now," Narcissa stated, pulling back from Ginny. "Why don't we do what we originally came in here for and see what jewellery you have?"
* * * * * * * * *
"Father?"
"What did you do this time, Draco?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Father," Draco replied, walking up to stand beside a seated Lucius.
"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. The only time you ever come to me with a problem is if you've truly aggravated your mother."
"But --"
"No, no. I understand. Your mother tends to be more…rational than me when it comes to the situations you get yourself into." Lucius turned to face his son. "Now tell me, Draco, what happened?"
"I tried to sneak a peek at Ginny's dress."
Lucius furrowed his brows. "I don't see the trouble with that."
"Neither do I!" Draco exclaimed. "But Ginny wanted it to be a surprise for me."
"So why is she upset?"
"Because she thinks that I may not trust her or her judgement."
"Ah." Lucius nodded in understanding.
He rose out of the chair behind his desk, beckoning Draco to sit beside him in the two chairs in front.
"I get the impression that Ginny likes you a great deal."
"Of course she --"
But Lucius cut Draco off with a raised hand. "Just listen, son. I also get the impression that Ginny trusts you more than she probably should, considering our affiliations with certain members of society. Because whether you may acknowledge it or not, she's practically risking her life just to be with you. You're lucky that the Dark Lord has yet to request her presence. For he does know that you are dating her, make no mistake of that. So for you to go behind her back for something as superfluous as catching a glimpse of a dress that you're going to see tonight is incredibly poor form. Not only does it make her question her trust in you, it also causes her to believe that you have little to no trust in her, or her actions. And while I may understand your reasoning behind your actions, for I was the same way with your mother, Ginny doesn't. Although, knowing your mother like I do, she might have already explained your behaviour to Ginny."
"So what should I do?"
"I think you need to find Ginny and apologize to her. Now," Lucius practically commanded, flicking his eyes towards the door.
"Thank you, Father," Draco replied, leaving the study in search of his girlfriend.
* * * * * * * *
"Gin?" Draco knocked lightly on the door to Ginny's bedroom, hoping to find her within.
"What do you want?" she responded, her muffled voice low and unfamiliar to Draco's ears.
"I want to apologize," Draco said, opening the door slightly, hoping she'd allow him entry.
He heard no protest and walked inside, came to rest at her bedside, sat down near her waist, and reached a hand out to run his fingers through her hair. Her back was to him, and he was unable to detect any sort of emotion from his actions.
"I'm sorry, Gin. Really, I am. What I did was childish, immature, stupid, and any other synonym you can think of. I betrayed your trust for something so insignificant, and I never meant to hurt you. You put so much faith into me, faith that I don't deserve for all that I have done to you in years previous, and I understand if you can't forgive me."
Ginny rolled over, grabbing Draco's hand, pulling it away from her hair. She began rubbing the top of his hand with the pad of her thumb, staring at him intently.
He hoped what he said conveyed sincerity, and he thought that maybe that's what she was looking at his face for - any sign of sincerity to let her know that it was okay for her to forgive him.
She stopped rubbing his hand, bringing her hand up to his face, running a hand down his cheek. He grabbed it mid-way, bringing it to lips to press a kiss against her soft palm.
She manoeuvred her hand out of his grasp, slinking it to the back as she grabbed a hold of the hairs at the nape of his neck. She pulled back, causing him to gasp in pain at her sudden movement. She held him there as she spoke. "What you did what unbelievably selfish, not to mention pig-headed. If you ever do something like that again, you will get more than a hair tug as retribution for your childish acts." She loosened her hold, yanking him down so his face is nose to nose with hers. "But you are forgiven," she whispered against his lips, smirking as he closed the gap to kiss her.
* * * * * * * *
"I swear, you spend more time in front of the mirror than I do, Draco," Ginny announced, leaning against the doorframe to Draco's room. "And I'm a girl, so that's saying something."
"Can I help it if I want to make sure that every single girl in that room is envious of you?" Draco replied, picking a bit of lint off of his shoulder.
"That was an impressive double-sided compliment. You complimented not only me, but yourself all in one fell swoop," Ginny stated, smirking as she walked up to Draco, wrapping her arms around his chest, resting her chin on his shoulder.
Draco smiled at their reflections, kissing the tops of her hands. He turned around, stretching out his arms, holding her at arms' length. Any words he had died on his lips as he took in the sight of Ginny in her dress, all done up to perfection. His eyes raked her body, going from clear, icy silver to a dark, storm-ridden grey, desire pooling in the pit of his stomach. He licked his lips subconsciously, cursing his mother's infernal gala.
Ginny's smirk grew exponentially, knowing full well what ran through Draco's mind in that moment. She let out a deep, throaty chuckle, causing her boyfriend to growl in frustration. "I take your silence as a sign of approval," she breathed before Draco pulled her close, grabbing her bottom lip with his teeth with another guttural growl.
Like all of his kisses, it was possessive. Draco used his teeth and tongue to urge her to comply; nipping her bottom lip until it was bee stung and red, running his tongue across both her top and bottom lip, revelling in the breathy little mewls Ginny emitted. Her tongue slinked out to meet his after a while, the two swirling together as she tilted her head to get a better angle. She entwines her fingers into his hair, using them to pull his head closer to hers. His hands roam across the back plane of her body, resting everywhere: her hips, her waist, her shoulders, her head, cupping her bum, and repeated the series over and over again.
Ginny pulled away, albeit reluctantly, resting her forehead on Draco's. "We really should head downstairs. I'd hate for your mum to come here only to find us doing depraved things on your bed."
"So you're saying that you'd want to?" Draco asked, his eyes alight with mischief.
"While I would love to, I did not get dressed up for nothing. You'll just have to be a good boy and wait until the night is over."
"You should know by now that I'm never a good boy," Draco said with a pout.
"Yes, but for tonight, you'll have to be."
* * * * * * * *
"Any particular reason for the hold up?" Lucius asked once Draco and Ginny appeared downstairs, him and his wife smirking as they processed Ginny's swollen lips and Draco's tousled hair.
Ginny pinked at Lucius's comment, but remained silent, not wanting to elaborate to her boyfriend's father the reason behind their late entrance.
Draco opened his mouth to reply, but was silenced by Ginny's hand over his mouth. "Think before you speak and embarrass the two of us, but most especially me." She rolled her eyes as she felt Draco grin against her palm, before he bit it, causing Ginny to yelp. "You bit me!"
"Wouldn't be the first time," Draco replied, grin still firmly in place.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy!" Narcissa admonished, scandalized, while Lucius looked as though he were having a hard time refraining his laughter. Ginny, on the other hand, had turned beet red, mortified by Draco's candidness. "Draco, you know better than to speak about such matters in public. Have some propriety."
"Yes, Mother. I'm sorry for my outburst," Draco stated, his grin never faltering.
Both Ginny and Narcissa rolled their eyes, annoyed at how not sorry Draco was.
"Very well, Draco. Move along, now. You still have guests to greet," Lucius intervened, stepping slightly ahead of Narcissa.
Once out of ear shot of his parents, Ginny turned to Draco. "Did you have to make that last comment? The one about biting me?"
"I didn't find anything wrong with it."
Ginny lightly slapped Draco's arm as he led her around the edge of the ballroom. "Yes, but in front of your parents, it's highly inappropriate. I'd rather your parents not hear about our sex life, thank you very much."
"As the lady wishes."
"It better be as the lady wishes, or else you can just forget about later on tonight."
Draco stopped their circuit, looking at her wide-eyed. "You wouldn't."
"Try me," Ginny challenged, smirking.
"You, woman, are evil. Withholding sex like that, especially considering how good you look right now."
Ginny leaned in to his ear, her lips brushing up against the shell. "I learned from the best."
* * * * * * * *
Draco and Ginny continued their tour of the ballroom, stopping every so often to make polite conversation with certain guests, or indulging in a dance or two.
They were just about to sit down for dinner, when a disturbance near the entrance to the ballroom stopped them. The entire room went silent as they listened to Lucius's pleas.
"My Lord, I did not expect you back so soon from your expedition," Lucius began, shocked at the sight of an aggravated Voldemort in his home.
"What is this?" the Dark Lord hissed, looking around at all of the party-goers.
"It's our annual Christmas ball. You gave us permission to hold it since you were to be absent," Narcissa piped up, stepping next to Lucius, threading her fingers with his for support.
"Yes, well, I have returned from my travels, and I want them gone," Voldemort commanded, motioning to the guests.
"But, My Lord, you told us --"
"OUT!" he bellowed, causing the guests to run out of the ballroom, the pop of Apparition blending in with the clacking of shoes against the parquet floors. "Where's Draco? I want to hear any news he has about his mission." Voldemort scanned the room for any sign of Draco, smirking when he saw him standing stock still near the tables, pleased with who was standing next to him.
"Well done, Draco; well done, indeed," he announced, gliding over to Draco and Ginny. "How long has this been going on exactly?"
"What do you want?" Ginny spat, much to Draco's chagrin.
Voldemort turned his head, focusing on Ginny. "Is that little Ginny Weasley? How soon you forget your friends," he taunted, quickly moving to stand in front of her.
"You were never a friend of mine, Tom."
"It seems you are behind the times, dearest Ginny. I no longer go by that name."
"I am well aware of that. But you'll always be 'Tom' to me."
Voldemort grabbed Ginny's face in between one of his hands, squeezing her cheeks together as he glared at her. "Impudent girl, you would do well to listen to your new master." He turned to Draco never letting go of Ginny. "Thank you so much for delivering the Weasley girl to me, Draco. You have done better on this task then I have ever imagined."
Ginny began fidgeting in Voldemort's grasp, looking to Draco, eyes imploring him to explain just what the hell was going on. Voldemort sensed Ginny's questioning glance and continued speaking to Draco. "She doesn't know?" Draco flinched at the question. The Dark Lord turned back to Ginny, a chilly smile implanting itself on his serpentine features. "Your little boyfriend, here, was commanded by me to date you. You see, Ginny, I need your help in finding Potter. Whether you cooperate or not is not really a choice." He let go, laughing at the tears brimming in Ginny's eyes.
"Is it true?" she croaked, hunched over, looking at Draco. "Is it true that you only dated me just so you can give me to him?" Ginny was near hysterical at this point, hitting Draco's chest with her fists, before dissolving into tears, slumping on the floor at his feet.
Draco refused to say a word. He never wanted Ginny to find out the real reason why he initially asked her out. She meant so much more to him now. Maybe he was on the cusp of loving her.
"Pathetic," Voldemort hissed. "Take her to the dungeons."
A/N- Thanks for reading! Please review! =D