Disclaimer: All that you recognise belongs to JKR.

Warning: None.

A/N: I really shouldn’t be writing at all right now, but after hours and hours of writing essays and researching I really needed a break from study.

The Proposal

Draco stared down at the pale, red-haired girl in his arms, noting her closed eyes where a few sparkling tears still clung to her lashes in silent desperation. Her body hung limp and heavy in his hold, curving down in his arms as if they were both dancing the tango and he was simply dipping her into a dramatic sweep. As it was, they were not dancing. Ginny had simply fainted and he had caught her just in time before her body would have crashed against the floor. It had been a tense moment, and he was not sure if his brain had even had time to register what was really happening when he had opened that door. All he had known was that Ginny was falling- falling so fast that it had caused a sickening jolt to surge through his stomach, and then his legs had somehow moved his body in an impossible speed to allow his arms to reach out and grab her. It had been instinct to save her, and now as he held her securely in his arms, everything else seemed to fall into place, including the fact that Julian was standing only a few feet away from him.

Turning piercing grey eyes to the other man, who was shifting restlessly and watching Ginny’s unconscious form with an anxious expression on his face, Draco’s lips curved down into a heavy frown. He did not like Julian, and he did not like the fact that Ginny seemed to have fainted because of him. It did not take a genius to put the two together. Julian had done something to upset her, and as much as Ginny irritated him, he felt strangely protective of her- especially when she was looking so fragile and vulnerable in his arms.

“What did you do to her?” Draco demanded coldly, while adjusting his hold on Ginny so that he could stand properly. He looped an arm around her slim waist and held her close to him so that she would not fall again. At any other time he might have wondered about the strange situation he was in, perhaps allowing his mind to dwell on the warm body pressed up against his, but right now he was too filled with angry suspicion towards Julian to really allow the situation to sink in. He wanted answers, and he wanted them now.

Julian lifted his chin up defiantly, his blue eyes gathering with a haughtiness rarely seen in him. Gone were the charming smiles and dancing blue eyes. He looked every part of the aristocrat that he was, with the lines on his face filling with undisguised snobbery. Clearly Julian did not like Draco insinuating that this was his fault, but for Draco there could not be any other explanation. He knew Ginny was not a silly, weak girl, and he knew that she would not cry for no reason, let alone faint.

“Don’t throw this back at me,” Julian snapped coldly, while folding his arms defensively. “She fainted because she’s sick. I haven’t done anything to her at all.”

“Don’t give me that rubbish. I’m not blind,” Draco retorted with a scowl, and narrowed his eyes even more at the older man so that Julian actually took a step back. To face the cold glare of a Malfoy was a test of inner-strength, and very few could stand up to it. It did not have the petrifying powers of the gorgon Medusa, but the cold fury in Draco’s metallic eyes could chill even the most hardened skin. There was an angry bite, a silent threat lingering in the harshness of the grey, and for Julian, who now faced that dark, glowering look, he could not bring himself to withstand its chilling powers. Draco was satisfied to see Julian back off, but not satisfied enough. He wanted an admission from the man and he planned on getting it.

Julian seemed to realise what he had done, for he quickly pulled himself together and smoothed back his unruly fringe in an attempt to appear unmoved. He gave a small, haughty sniff and gave his own glare back at Draco, which unfortunately did not have much effect. Draco had not spent most of his life facing the cold glares of his father to then be frightened by a frippery flirt like Julian Adderson. The man had might as well have been a glaring caterpillar for all the terror he installed. It just looked wrong on his face.

“If you’re aiming to frighten me, Malfoy, you’re not going to get your wish. I’m not frightened of a little boy like yourself.”

“Frighten you?” Draco echoed with a mocking laugh, while still holding Ginny securely against him. “I couldn’t care less how you feel, but guilty should be one of them. You’ve got to be a real hypocrite to stand there acting like nothing’s wrong while Weasley lies unconscious in my arms. Weren’t you the one who wanted to warn me off her so that you could have her to yourself?”

Julian’s dark eyebrows drew together in a glare, but Draco only smirked; his silver eyes lighting up with harsh, mocking humour.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?”

“Shutup you little brat,” Julian spat furiously, and actually took an angry step towards him. Draco felt just the little bit alarmed, but he managed to keep his calm. He figured that Julian wouldn’t really hurt him while he still held Ginny. She might get hurt too after all.

“You don’t know anything at all. What’s going on between Ginny and I has nothing to do with you,” Julian continued coldly, “and I’d appreciate if you kept your nose out of my business.”

Draco only smiled annoyingly, like the Cheshire cat grinning with faint maliciousness at Alice’s befuddlement from his riddles. There was the same upward gleam in his eyes, and his smile seemed too satisfied to be friendly.

“I see… something did happen between you two then.”

 “What do you want, Malfoy?” Julian demanded, taking a few steps closer to Draco and meeting his gaze with a scowl. “You know my situation, though Merlin knows how you figured that out, and so obviously you know that it is impossible for me to marry Ginny. Is that what you want to hear? That I had to break her heart because I cannot marry her? That I have to try and forget about the girl I love because it would be foolish to marry her while we both have nothing?”

“No…” Draco said calmly, meeting Julian’s gaze steadily. “If you really loved her you would not be walking away. You would sacrifice everything you want and have just to be with her.”

“Oh, don’t be an idiot,” Julian snapped heatedly. “You can’t tell me that you of all people would give up all your money and status just to marry a girl!”

Draco smiled slowly, his eyes once more gleaming with mocking amusement. “Maybe not, but then I’m not stupid enough to lose my inheritance to gambling.”

Julian opened and closed his mouth wordlessly for a moment, his face taking on the interesting colour of a lobster. If his hands suddenly sprouted into claws, Draco thought he would make quite the sea creature, but Julian only continued to glare at him like a hot air balloon rising in fury. It would have been amusing if Draco were not now feeling a certain stab of worry for the girl in his arms. He could hear her rattling breathing that surely could not be right.

He quickly scooped an arm under Ginny’s legs and picked her up in his arms, before once more raising his eyes to Julian’s face. He levelled his gaze on the older man, becoming suddenly older than his twenty years from the maturity that seemed to encompass him. There was an act in finality about the gaze, as if Draco was silently telling Julian that it was time for him to make his bow as gracefully as he could and leave the stage. He had lost his chance with Ginny, and Draco would make sure that he never got another.

“Goodnight Julian,” Draco said evenly. “If I were you I would consider leaving tonight. I don’t think my mother would appreciate you upsetting her favourite guest.”

Julian glared at him for a moment, but it seemed he too realised that it was time to go. There was nothing for him here anymore. He had lost Ginny, and he had lost his inheritance. Soon all of society would know his failures and he would become the laughing stock of society. He did not want that.

His blue eyes fell on Ginny’s pale face; a sudden flash of longing creeping into them. If only circumstances had been different. If only…

“Tell her… I’m sorry, will you?”

Draco considered the older man for a moment. He supposed he could say sorry on Julian’s behalf, but then Draco was never a forgiving fellow, and he certainly cherished no goodwill towards Julian Adderson. He did not want Ginny to have any good feelings for Julian either, and it would be better for all of them if she forgot the guy altogether.

“No, I don’t think I will, “ Draco replied with a smirk and then walked off down the hallway carrying his fair burden. Julian could feel as bitter as he liked but he had brought this on himself. Draco was not his messenger boy, and he had his own problems to deal with that did not involve Julian. He had given much thought on his mother’s desire to have him marry Ginny, and while at times he had vehemently declared he would never marry that freckled thing, there were other times, like now, when he thought he might be able to. He knew at least that he would never be bored with her, and she certainly was not full of pretension or throwing herself at him like the others. She was the only normal one here, and that had to count for something, right?

He stared down at her face cradled in the nook of his shoulder, his expression softening slightly. It was much easier to like Ginny Weasley when she was asleep. There was something sweet about the way her face relaxed into slumber; something that drew him to her like the princes of old that stumbled across their sleeping damsels. Beauty seemed to encompass her even more, and her fiery spirit could still be seen in her face, though much more gently. She was beautiful, but it was not her face that made him realise this; it was the inner beauty that shone through.

Suddenly something stirred inside him that he could not place. It felt warm… almost gentle, but at the same time so strange and surreal... It was not the same type of warmth that fell from the fiery rays of the sun, which warmed him from the outside, nor was it like the soothing warmth of sinking into a nice, hot bath on a chilly day... In fact, it was not like any warmth he had ever felt before in his life. This warmth seemed to blossom out from his heart; stretching its fragile fingers to surround the beating organ until his chest seemed to hum with the tiny feeling. It was subtle in its touch, as if it was afraid to reveal its true strength to him, but he could feel its power all the same. There was something youthful about it… something fragile, like a tiny seed trying to find its roots. It wanted to grow, it wanted to shine, but something held it back… 

Draco tried to search his feelings to discover where this strange warmth had come from, but just as quickly as the feeling had come, so did it disappear. His heart stopped humming, and all traces of the sweet, gentle feeling vanished so that Draco began to wonder if he had simply dreamed it all. How else could he explain the strange feeling that he had felt? Maybe he had not felt anything at all? Maybe he was just tired and needed a long sleep?

He sighed in frustration, wishing that he could recall what it had felt like, for already the feeling seemed to be slipping away from his memory.

“There’s no point dwelling on it,” Draco muttered to himself, and simply pushed the confusing thoughts aside to focus on more important things; like getting Ginny safely back to her room. His arms were already protesting against her weight. Maybe those ridiculous heroes in romance novels could carry girls around like they weighed nothing, but Draco found himself struggling after a while. Either he really needed to work out more, or else this idea of carrying girls like they were feathers was all rather unrealistic.

Once they finally got to her room, Draco opened the door and walked straight to the bed. He placed her gently down on the bed, trying to be as careful as possible so that she did not wake. She lay silently in her sleep, her red hair sprawling out around her and covering half her face like a fiery halo, with her tears still catching and sparkling in the soft candlelight. Almost instinctively Draco reached out and pushed the silky red strands off her face, his eyes travelling over her features and then falling to her slightly parted lips where they remained locked in deep concentration. His hand lingered for just a moment on the soft, warm skin of her cheek, his eyes still gazing intently down at her lips, but then he realised what he was doing and he quickly pulled his hand away in some shock.

Feeling slightly flustered, Draco stared down at her pale face and wondered just what had come over him back there. Surely he had not been contemplating kissing that freckled thing?

“I must be crazy,” Draco muttered to himself and shook his head in confusion. He pulled the covers back over Ginny’s body, and once more allowed his eyes to fall on her face. She moved in her sleep, a soft moan escaping her lips, and Draco realised she was probably going to wake. He did not want to be here when that happened- already feeling rather embarrassed from his previous behaviour- and quickly turned on his heel and left the room without a backwards glance.

His brain was in turmoil, and he tried desperately not to think too much about what had almost happened back there. For one dangerous moment he had thought he actually cared about Ginny Weasley, and that was a frightening thought indeed...

OOOO

Draco had spent the night tossing and turning in his bed, unable to get thoughts of Ginny out of his head. His heart and mind seemed to be in a constant war, and for the first time in his life Draco did not know what to do. His heart was telling him to trust his feelings and accept that perhaps he was not so against Ginny after all, but his mind kept reminding him of how stupid Ginny Weasley was, and how very annoying she could be.

In truth, he did not know why he cared about her at all. She was graceless and obnoxious, and she also happened to be too damn nosy for her own good, but there was definitely something different about her… It had caught his attention first when he had seen her again that day in Diagon Alley, and it had only increased the more he had seen her. Last night had been the final moment of realisation for him, and while he still did not know exactly what it was he felt for her, something had changed in him- that much he was certain...

By the time morning had come, Draco knew he had made his decision in who would be his bride. His mother had to be told, of course, and that was how he came to be sitting across from Narcissa in her sitting room, telling her that he was going to be marrying Ginevra Weasley. She had expressed all the right amount of joy in hearing the news, and if it had occurred to either of them that Ginny might not actually want to marry Draco, it certainly did not seem to bother them. Draco was too worried about what he would be expected to do next, and Narcissa was too busy celebrating the success in her matchmaking schemes.

Narcissa sipped her tea delicately, and Draco tried hard to ignore his brain screaming at him that this was all a big mistake. He had been battling that voice all night and morning, and while it was disconcerting to be hearing voices at all, this one was particularly frustrating. He had debated with himself for a long time about who he would marry, and even before this morning he had thought that if he had to marry anyone it might as well be Ginny who was at least interesting, but the little voice kept piping up rather shrilly that he would regret it before the end. Draco had to wonder if the voice was right. He did know Ginny was quite the handful after all, and more than once he had suffered from her rudeness…

He heard the clinking of his mother’s teacup hitting the saucer and lifted his eyes to see a knowing smile being cast his way. She was looking particularly smug today, and Draco knew it was because he had decided to marry Ginny. Normally he would have felt irritated and more than a little rebellious in seeing that smug expression, but now was not the time to be a spoilt brat. He had to be mature about this, even if his mother’s smugness was grating on his nerves.

“So tell me, Draco, when do you plan to propose to her?”

Draco fidgeted with his hands and stared at the ground. Having decided that he would ask Ginny to marry him, he knew eventually he would have to propose to her, but that did not stop him from feeling more than a little terrified at the thought. Marriage was overwhelming to him anyway, but proposing to a girl seemed like the most terrifying thing in the world. He would rather go scale a mountain without magic than ask Ginny to marry him… the only problem was, he knew he had to do it if anything was to happen at all.

“I, um… well I haven’t decided yet.”

The truth was, Draco was trying to put off the actual proposal for as long as possible. He had always been rather cowardly, and his own selfishness made it difficult for him to inconvenience himself by choice. Narcissa knew this, but she would not let her son ruin her plans now. She had put too much into this wedding to let it all fall apart because Draco was too scared to propose.

Gracefully she extended her arm over the table and grasped his hand to give it a small squeeze. “Draco, you must do this for your father. You’ve made the right choice in choosing Ginevra, but you must not let her slip through your fingers. Right now she’s weak from her illness, and therefore far less likely to kick up a fuss should you propose to her. I think it would be wise to propose to her today before she gets better.”

Draco frowned slightly. There was something off about her words. He pulled his hand away from his mother’s grasp and stared at her incredulously for a moment, the cogs in his brain turning quickly. There was something not right here… He did not know what it was, but he recognised that gleam in his mother’s eyes which told him she was up to something. He had seen it many times before when she was dictating the lives of her family and those around her. His mother was very good at getting her way, and usually it was through questionable means.

“Mother, what did you do?” Draco asked suspiciously, while eyeing her with increasing misgiving. He knew his mother to be manipulative and sometimes unfeeling, but he hoped she had not done anything to Ginny to ensure their marriage.

Narcissa gave a careless shrug and appeared unmoved by her son’s suspicions. She always had a way of making the most monstrous actions appear normal and almost benign. It was what one particularly disliked about her.

“I simply slipped some flu-inducing potion into Ginevra’s glass of wine so that she would get sick.”

Draco felt his fingers clench tightly into his palms, but his expression remained calm. “And why would you do that?”

She turned her cool gaze on him with not a shred of apology in her eyes. “Don’t be a fool, Draco. Ginevra would do everything in her power to stop you from proposing to her, and I did not want that. Having her too weak to put up a fight is the easiest way to ensure that things will run smoothly. Don’t worry,” Narcissa added with what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, “she’ll soon realise that this match is not so bad.”

Draco did not feel the relief his mother had obviously intended him to feel. It only made him wonder if this was right what they were doing. Ginny loved Julian- that much he had gathered already- but Julian was gone now… She had to move on eventually, but Draco had to wonder if it was right to force her into a marriage she did not want. He knew she disliked him, and since she had just had her heart crushed by another man, it would only make things worse. He also knew his mother was right in saying that she would try stop him from proposing to her, but he also knew she was the only woman that he could see himself marrying. He could not stand those other women, and he could not forget the strange feelings he felt for her. It was selfish, he knew, but maybe his mother was right? Maybe she would see the advantages in being married to him? Maybe it would not be so bad? He certainly did not want to go with anyone else…

“Draco,” Narcissa began seriously, her eyes once more locking on his. “If you want her as your wife you must do this. All you need to do is say the words and the magic will do the rest.”

He nodded his head, knowing this to be true. Once he said those words Ginny would be bonded to him for life by the magic placed on Purebloods. The Wizarding World did not believe in divorce, which was why Blaise Zabini’s mother conveniently had her husbands die when she got sick of them. Draco decided not to dwell on that too much though, considering he was contemplating proposing to a woman who showed every sign in hating him.

Sighing to himself, Draco ran a hand through his hair, not quite sure what to do anymore. He knew a lot of his decision to marry Ginny was based on the fact that his mother wished it, and also because those other women were unbearable. Having had the desire to kiss her helped too, but he still felt the very real feeling of disliking the freckled witch. He was just so confused and trapped, and then he had to wonder if his father would even approve of this anyway. Lucius hated the Weasleys, and Draco had already been accused of being the death of his father without it becoming a literal accusation.

“Are you sure this is what you want, mother?” He asked suddenly. “I understand that you like her, but won’t father be angry?”

Narcissa laughed softly. “You leave your father to me. He may not like her, but I can get him to tolerate the marriage at least. As for wanting this… it’s not up to me, Draco. I naturally would prefer you to marry someone like her rather than one of those imbeciles, but if you do not wish to marry her I will not force you to. I was under the impression that you liked her though… Why else would you be here telling me you are going to marry her?”

Draco shrugged. “I just… I just don’t know if it’s worth it. I thought I hated her… I still do I think… I just… I don’t want to marry any of those other girls, and she’s not so bad really, but…”

“But what?”

“She doesn’t love me. She hates me.”

Narcissa met his gaze with a steady look, her blue eyes firm and serious. “She will learn to love you, Draco, just as I learned to love your father…”

OOOO

Ginny opened her eyes and then immediately scrunched them shut in frustration. The night’s proceedings were washing over her like a sickening wave, reminding her over and over on how hopeless her situation was. Julian had left her… he had left her with nothing but the painful feelings in having her heart broken. It was strange how such a tiny organ could cause so much hurt, and yet her heart seemed to be wrenching in two so that she just felt shattered and tired. She did not want to get out of bed; she did not want to do anything. All she wanted was to curl up and die and never have to think of men again.

Tears slid down her cheeks, rolling down in hot trails to splatter across her very damp pillows. She was sure she had cried so much that there could not possibly be any tears left to shed, but they kept coming freely and painfully. Her throat burned, her jaw hurt, and her eyes stung with betrayal. How could he have done this to her? How could he have tossed her aside so carelessly all because she had no money? Why? Why did society have to be so shallow? Why did every man have to be so obsessed with money and power? Why couldn’t he have just loved her and married her? Why? Why? Why?

“It’s not fair,” Ginny choked out weakly, still huddled up in a warm ball. “It’s just not fair…”

If she were not feeling so sick maybe she could have made him stay. Maybe she could have argued with him more and made him realise that he wanted to marry her. No… she could not have done that and she was glad she had not. Julian was horrible. He deserved nothing, and she should try to move on from him... He was the one who had been stupid enough to lose all his inheritance, and she was much better of without him. After all, he did not want to marry her because she was poor!

Her chin wobbled dangerously, and then she was wiping her eyes furiously where fat tears were leaking out. “Oh, who am I kidding?” Ginny declared loudly to herself in a pathetic voice. “I love him and he’s gone. I don’t care if he’s a jerk. I don’t care if he doesn’t deserve me. I want him…”

It was to this pitiful exclamation that Draco walked into the room. Ginny quickly shot up in the bed, clutching blankets and sheets to her chest with her face red and splotchy, and her eyes sprinkled with tears. Her freckles were standing out even more today, and her hair was tangled and scraggly from all the rolling around she had done in her bed during the night. She did not look particularly attractive right now, and as she gave a hearty sniff while casting owlish eyes his way, Draco wondered how it was he could have ever considered kissing her last night. He also wondered why it was he had not run away and forgotten about proposing altogether. She looked rather formidable with her angry, gorgon glare, and her chin quivering in what seemed to be the warning sign of hysterics. He hoped that this would not prove to be the case.

“What do you want?” she demanded, while pulling her dressing gown around her body more tightly; obviously in an attempt to appear more dignified. This seemed to be a hard achievement, as currently all she had succeeded in doing was looking more woeful than ever.

Draco tried not to walk out the door right then and there. She obviously had no idea how difficult it was to propose to a girl that looked on the verge of tears and was glaring at him like he was a particularly disgusting villain. Draco had to remind himself that he was not a villain, and that he had to do this. She could not frighten him out of proposing to her, and while he still had misgivings in proposing to her after she had just had her heart broken, he had a feeling that if he did not do it now then he would never marry her at all. Merlin forbid that should happen, for then he would be stuck with Pansy or even worse, Daphne!

He walked determinedly to the bed and knelt down beside her; reaching out a hand to take hers in his. Ginny’s other hand let go of the blankets, and her eyes bugged open in shock. Her jaw dropped, and she stared at his face in a mixture of alarm and disbelief.

“W-what are you doing?” she asked in a worried voice, while tugging weakly at her hand to free it from his grasp. Draco was relieved to find that she was still sick, and therefore could not actually fight against this upcoming proposal. That made him feel a little like a villain, but he managed to persuade himself that this was all for his future happiness and that she would get over it eventually…. He hoped….

“Ginevra Molly Weasley, by the bonding magic placed on me as a Pureblood, I name you as my chosen br-”

“NO!” Ginny screamed and placed a hand over his mouth to stop any more words from escaping. She stared at him, her eyes the size of dinner plates, and kept her hand firmly over his mouth. “Don’t say it. Oh please, Merlin, don’t say it!”

Feeling naturally frustrated, Draco yanked her hand from his mouth and glared angrily at her. “Dammit, Weasley, I want to marry you!”

For a moment they just stared at each other: he glaring, and she with her eyes nearly popping out of her head in surprise. All of a sudden a blinding flash of light surrounded them and Draco felt his right hand burning. It was like hot needles were being pressed into his palm. He heard Ginny let out an indignant squeak and knew she must be feeling the same intense heat in her hand.

“What’s going on?” He heard her cry out, though he could not see her at all.

Suddenly the blinding light vanished from the room, leaving both of them breathing hard- their hands still burning dully. Draco blinked a few times and then raised his hand to his face where a strange mark had been made on his palm. It looked like two circles joined in the middle, but they were not the same. The left was pitch black, while the right seemed to be more gold. His eyes drifted to Ginny, who was also looking at her hand where the same mark had been imprinted; except for her, the right circle was pitch black. She met his gaze with a stunned look that bordered on furious, and suddenly Draco realised what had happened. Somehow the bonding magic had been performed on them, and that meant that their lives were tied to each other now. Those circles would remain until they were married; in which case the wedding rings would then take away the marks from their hands.

“I don’t believe this,” Ginny muttered to herself. Her eyes locked on his- frustration, anger, and pure hopelessness shining through her face. “Why? Why would you want to marry me?”

Draco did not know what to say. How could he tell her that he thought he might care about her? How could he explain to her that he only picked her because he did not want to pick any of the others? How could he ever make her accept that this was the only course of action he could take?

“I… well…” He trailed off and absently rubbed his hand where the mark was. He just could not say anything. It was a cowardly thing to do, and he knew it, but Draco had never professed himself to be a Gryffindor. He was selfish and had done this with only his own happiness in mind. He thought he would only make things worse if he said that though…

“I suppose that’s it then. There’s no way to call it off?” Ginny demanded in a frustrated voice after a few more moments of silence.

He silently shook his head, feeling suddenly very guilty. So maybe this had been the wrong way to go about things. Maybe he could have handled things better. He had not wanted to force a girl to marry him, but really what could he have done? It was either force her to marry him or be forced to marry someone himself. He had been trapped by both his parent’s wishes; given no choice but to find a bride before the month was out, and Ginny was the only one that had ever made him look twice. She was the only one that had ever sparked something inside him, and if it was selfish to dot this well he could not help that. He had to do what felt right for him.

“This is just great,” Ginny muttered before flopping back against the bed in a dispirited heap. “I can’t believe I’m engaged to Draco Malfoy.”

Draco glared at her. “You don’t have to say it like that. It’s not like I’m a toad or anything. It could be worse you know.”

“You’d might as well be a toad for all I care. I can’t believe you would do this to me!” She shot up again and pointed her finger threateningly at him, her eyes narrowing into angry slits. “You know, I thought you were an insufferable jerk before, but now I realise how much I’ve underestimated you. You’re more than insufferable; you’re horrible, and hateful, and, ugh! I don’t even want to look at you!”

Draco watched as she flomped back down on the bed and pulled the covers over her head. He heard the pitiful sounds of sniffling and knew that she was probably crying again. He did feel bad, but he could not do anything about this now. They were going to be married, and there was absolutely no way to break it off, short of killing themselves. Draco had no desire to go to an early grave, and he did not think that Ginny did either. They were stuck together in a marriage of convenience, though he doubted she would see it that way. There was no love between them, and though he felt some feelings towards her, they were not nearly enough to make him actually want to marry her if he had not been forced to do so. This was frustrating for him too, but he knew it was nothing to how she was feeling. She probably wished him dead right now, and for good reason…

He stared at the lump under the blankets that was her body and realised there was no point staying in here. She clearly was not going to talk to him again.

“I better tell my mother,” Draco muttered as he stood up. Ginny only gave a loud sniff from under the blankets.

Draco sighed to himself and left the room. He did not know what would happen now, or if Ginny would ever forgive him. She was stubborn to a fault, but they had no choice but to marry each other now. She would have to learn to live with him eventually; the only problem was that he did not know when would that be…

“What have I got myself into?” Draco mumbled to himself dispiritedly. For all that this had seemed such a good idea in the morning and while he had been talking to his mother, now it just seemed foolish and wrong. He could not see how this could possibly end happily, and with Ginny refusing to even talk to him, he knew that things were about to get very difficult in his life.

OOO

Ginny lay under the blankets in silence, though occasionally sniffling from time to time. Draco had left the room only a few minutes ago, but she had no desire to move again. To say that she was upset was an understatement, and desperately she wished that she had a time turner so that she could go back in time and stop him from saying those horrible words. She could not believe that he had actually asked her to marry him. Well, asking was not really what had happened. More like he had demanded that she marry him, and the stupid magic had done the rest. There was no hope for her now. She would have to marry Draco, and the thought made her literally sick to her stomach.

“Why did this have to happen?” she whispered to herself, and wrapped her arms around her shuddering body. Just thinking of the way he had treated her at that dance or how he had treated her like dirt all those years in school made her shudder. How could she be happy marrying a man like that? He had no respect for her or her family, and he had never once suggested that he would be kind to her. They could barely even have a civil conversation together for goodness sakes! She was going to be miserable, and all her dreams in having a husband who loved her were now gone. She would never know what it was like to be truly loved. She would never know what it would be like to wake up next to a man who wanted to spend his life with her- who cherished her, and would always look after her… Instead, she was stuck marrying Draco Malfoy: the egotistical man who had ruined her whole life and did not give two figs about her. How could she ever be happy with that?

When she was young she had always wondered who her husband would be. A natural romantic, Ginny had allowed her mind to wander, and the romantic novels she loved so dearly had spurred on her imagination to endow him with wonderful qualities. He would be perfect in every way, but now she knew who that man would be. She knew exactly how all those fantasies were going to end, and none of those conclusions were pleasant. She was utterly hopeless, and even crying seemed pointless now. It would achieve nothing but puffy eyes and a sore throat, for there was no way out of this mess. The bonding mark on her hand told her that clearly enough.

Ginny sniffed again and wondered what she could do to make this depressing situation somehow better. She was not a natural pessimist, and so figured that surely she could do something. She wished she had her mother and father here; they would be able to tell her what to do, but they were all the way in the Burrow and had no idea what was happening to their youngest daughter.

Thinking of her parents made her let out a small, pitiful sob. She wished she had listened to their warnings more seriously. She doubted any of them had thought that Draco Malfoy would propose to her though. She had never seriously considered he would either, even when she had heard that Narcissa had wanted him to. It was all just so strange and frustrating, and combining this miserable blow with the heartache she was already feeling made everything seem so much worse. It seemed like everything was spiralling out of control on her, and she could not see how her life could ever turn for the better. Her parents would be so disappointed with her, and what would her friends think? What would anyone think?

“I have no hope,” she said in a choked voice, realising the true extent of the awful situation she was in. She had to marry Draco. She had to… There was no going back now...

A/n: I’m not sure how I feel about this chapter. I hope you like it anyway.