"Cissy, please give it a rest. Staring at that damn map won't make him show up again. Maybe it was just a fluke anyway." James Mulligan's voice was soft but insistent.
"You don't understand, Jay. This map is never wrong, never! There is somewhere a boy out there that is a Malfoy."
"I understand, dear." he stepped behind her tenderly slinging his arms around her, "But what will happen, when he realises it? What will happen, if it turns out he is Lucius first born and Draco would be left with nothing? Do you want that?"
She trembled in his arms. This thought had never crossed her mind. She had just assumed that the person in question would be somehow related to the House of Malfoy via a side line. The possibility of Lucius having been unfaithful... No, he wouldn't bring such shame on the family name. Though this also meant that, if her husband really was the father, it must have happened before they got married. As that had happened more or less straight after leaving school Lucius must have... No, she didn't want to think about the implications.
"Cissy, come." James lead her slowly from the room.
As they were having tea in the main sitting room, Narcissa Malfoy was leaning her head against his shoulder as she had done so often during their secret meetings when they were still teenagers.
"You really think it could be Lucius?" she whispered.
"Yes. I wouldn't put it past him."
"But you of all people know that we got married only four months after leaving school."
"I know, but his reputation then wasn't any better than later on, was it?"
No, she had to agree with this. Her husband had been the known player in Slytherin House. Would he have risked to get a house mate pregnant? No, he had been not known to be reckless enough to risk that. So, if it was his son, how and when was he conceived? And more importantly by whom? Who was the mother to the boy?
Too many questions and no answer. She sighed.
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
Harry stood a bit embarrassed in front of the official who was going to marry him to Ginny while trying to button his shirt. His hair was an even greater mess than usual, but that was really the least of his worries right now. What would her parents say once they found out about this? What would Ron say? He didn't even want to think about George, Bill, Charlie or Percy, but then suddenly Hermione's face appeared before him. She was smiling, in a sad way. For a moment he was wondering why she wouldn't be happy for him to marry the lovely witch next to him. Her voice was whispering in his ears. Strange. He concentrated on the actual words and it sounded like "Ask her." What was he supposed to ask Ginny? If she wanted to marry him? She obviously wanted to and he had already asked her five months ago. What was this all about?
A deep male voice interrupted his thoughts.
"As we can assume you're here for a quick uncomplicated affair I'm not going to linger on the usual formalities. Please take each others right hand." he cleared his throat as Harry hesitantly took Ginny's hand, trying to smile, "Do you Harry James Potter want to take the here present Ginevra Weasley as your lawful wife?"
"Yes," he coughed as he was trying to adjust his bow tie, "I do."
"Do you Ginevra Weasley want to take the here present Harry James Potter to your lawful husband?"
Ginny was about to answer when the door burst open and a tall, dark skinned wizard in a travelling cloak stormed in.
"No, she doesn't!" he yelled.
Harry ever so slowly turned around to see Blaise Zabini striding towards them. His next glance was on his bride's face, it was displaying the shock she was clearly experiencing.
"She can't marry him. She's already married."
The official was seemingly used to strange occurrences during his services. He didn't so much as flinch or show the hint of surprise at the sudden interruption.
"Do you have any proof for this claim, young man?"
Blaise had reached the couple and handed a piece of parchment over. His lips had touched Ginny's cheek before she could shrink away. Harry just looked stunned at the scene before him and hoped he was going to wake up every minute now. This was the worst nightmare he'd ever had, by far.
While the document was scrutinised a winning smile was flashed by the intruder at the bride who in turn was about to swing another right hook only to find her wrist having been caught be a gentle but strong hand.
"Don't you dare punch your husband, dear."
"Husband?" Ginny screeched, "I'll give you husband in a minute! Let me go! You've not right to be here. Harry is the only man..."
A smirk formed on Blaise' face as he pulled her closer.
"Harry is the only man that doesn't know yet about what you did on Christmas Day."
Confused green eyes were observing the witch and wizard before them. What was going on here?
"What is he talking about, Ginny?"
She blushed, not just a slight colouring, no, her face was the deep red of utter embarrassment.
"I haven't... he did... nothing happened... I was..."
"Nothing happened? Dear, you disappoint me. Let me refresh your memory." he turned to his ex-classmate and drooled, "I'll show you what she did, Potter."
He pulled the rather reluctant witch into a tight embrace, her hands trapped against his chest, crashing his mouth onto hers. The intended groom paled. After only a few moments he could see her relax into the other wizard's body, her returning his advances.
This was the moment the wizard that had been supposed to marry Harry to the girl he had loved for years now was yet again clearing his throat loudly. Blaise slowly pulled back and tenderly tugged a strand of Ginny's hair behind her ear.
"This seems to be all in order. Which of course leaves the question how Mrs. Zabini here could pass the test confirming her to be still single when she was actually already married to Mr. Zabini."
"Ginny?" it was a mere whisper.
The only witch in the room realised what had just happened and buried her face in her hands. Then she surfaced a few heartbeats later looking at her fiancé, smiled, punched Blaise with such force that he staggered back and yelled, "Don't you dare come near me ever again, Blaise Zabini!"
A moment later she disapparated.
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A week into the new year Hermione found a totally frantic Ron on her doorstep. His hair was a mess, he seemed to have put on the first clothes he got a hold of and his face showed the distress he had to be feeling.
"Where is she? Hermione, do you know where she is?"
"Ron, come in" he did, "Who are you looking for?"
She had a fair idea whom he was here for and the possible implications... He followed her into the living room where Draco was sitting on the couch reading. He didn't say anything, just kept reading as he had realised who it was that his wife had brought in.
"Hermione? Have you any idea what's going on here? Why didn't she say anything? At least Harry could have told me something."
Harry? If his bride had vanished, shouldn't he be just as frantic as Ron?
"Where is Harry?"
"Don't you know?"
Why was it that he expected her to know where their friend was?
"No. Am I supposed to know?"
"I would've thought they told you before running off."
"They have done what?"
"Gone. Vanished. Apparated some place. I DON'T KNOW!"
Her head was spinning. Ginny and Harry had both vanished? Did that mean that they had eloped? She wouldn't have thought her best friend doing something like this without telling her or Ron, but Ginny would. If she had decided to take a stance against any further advances of Blaise she would probably even go to the length of grabbing her wizard and getting him to marry her without letting anybody else know about her intentions.
Her gaze fell onto Draco's face. There was a strange blankness. He seemed to just read his magazine, but she knew him way too well by now. Either he knew or at least suspected something.
"Ron, I've no idea where they are or what they've done."
That was greeted with her friend slumping down into one of the arm chairs. She sat on the couch next to his chair.
"Could it be that they have just eloped? Gone to Gretna Green and are now enjoying their honeymoon?"
"I wish it was that easy."
"Why? What has happened?"
"Harry and Ginny had gone back to Grimmauld place after spending New Year's Eve at the Burrow. Even mum has come round to the idea that they're engaged and with Ginny back at Hogwarts they don't get to see each other that often. We would just let them have some to be alone. Nothing to worry about. Or so we thought anyway. The day before yesterday I've owled him, asking if they wanted to come over for diner and a game a Quidditch in the orchard. I didn't get any answer. So...," he sighed, "I thought they were... busy with each other."
"Busy with each... oh! Right." Hermione blushed.
"I sent another owl today reminding Ginny that she would be going back to Hogwarts on Monday and should come home to pack her trunk. It was Kreacher that answered, saying that Harry had gone off with Ginny some place last Monday. He wrote that she had been wearing a nice dress and that his Master had been very hastily trying to put his dress robes on."
"Dress robes? Harry was wearing his dress robes and Ginny a dress?"
"Yeah, that's what Kreacher's being saying anyway."
"Ron, they must have eloped. If they were both wearing the appropriate clothing for such an occasion then that's the only rational explanation."
"Okay, but where are they now? I don't think Harry would let her miss the train back to school."
Hermione thought about that for a moment. No, Harry wouldn't let her miss the train. Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft hooting of an official looking owl at the patio door.
"I'll get it." Draco was up and at the doors before either his wife or Ron could move.
He picked up the feathery messenger, untied the letter and fed it some treats. The parchment had his name on the front.
"It's for me." he said while heading out off the room.
Ron watched him leave with a suspicious look on his face. He turned to his friend.
"What's that about?"
"What? Him leaving the room to read his letter? Don't know, maybe he fears it's a howler from his mother because he promised he'd be in touch and hasn't owled her since Christmas." Hermione shrugged.
Before she or her friend could say anything more Draco pop his head in. "I'll be gone for a while. You okay here on your own?"
Ron's face changed colour.
"Sure, you go. I'll be accompanying Ron to the Burrow. I want to speak to Mrs. Weasley."
"Okay." he quickly came over. pecked her on the cheek and then disapparated.
"Do you really want to talk to my mum?"
"Yes. I want to know why Ginny and Harry haven't been in touch yet. Honeymoon or no honeymoon it's not like Ginny not to tell everybody she knows about having tied the knot."
"No, it isn't."
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Draco arrived in St. Mungo's where an middle aged healer was waiting for him.
"Mr. Malfoy? I'm healer Sanderson. Thank you for coming in."
"What has happened? Your note only said I should come in as soon as possible."
"Yes, sorry about that. I didn't know, if it would be safe to be more open with the details about the situation."
"The situation?"
The young Malfoy was lead to a small office where the healer was taking a seat behind a cluttered desk.
"Take a seat. Tea?"
"No, thanks."
"Very well." deep green-grey eyes were observing the younger wizard for a moment before any explanation for him being summoned was forthcoming. "I have asked you to come here as we got a patient who has been repeatedly asking for you."
"What do you mean? Who's being asking for me."
"Do you know a wizard by the name of Blaise Zabini?"
"Blaise? Yes, of course. What has hap..."
Potter had vanished. Ginny had vanished. They might have eloped or they might have happened to meet his best mate. Which would most certainly have lead to some kind of altercation or other.
"Is he okay?"
Pursed lips were all the answer he got. There was a grave undertone once the healer finally started to explain what had happened.
"Mr. Zabini had gone to Gretna Green in order to prevent his wife from marrying another wizard, who incidentally was Mr. Harry Potter."
"Right..." a shocked expression spread over Draco's face.
"The official was a bit surprised by this development as Miss Weasley, the bride, had past the standard test of martial status. According to the test performed she was single, but Mr. Zabini was able to produce an official parchment proclaiming her to be his wife."
"..."
"There was the unfortunate insistence of Mr. Zabini to show Mr. Potter who's wife the witch in question already was that resulted in him being first punched by his assumed wife and after her disapparating a brawl ensued between Mr. Potter and Mr. Zabini. In the course of said brawl they stumbled, fell and Mr. Zabini had the bad luck to crack his skull on the corner of a stone pedestal."
Draco gasped.
"The presence of mind of the official present prevented any permanent damage. Him apparating both parties here probably saved both their lives."
"Can I see him?"
"Yes. Follow me."
After avoiding the busy lifts and several flights of stairs a small door in a side corridor was opened.
"Here."
"Thank you."
The room was only lit by a couple of candles and Blaise had a ghostly sheen on his face. His house mate sat next to the bed and was wondering, if Blaise was actually awake when his thoughts were interrupted by a rough voice.
"Draco?"
"Yes, mate. What the hell have you been doing?"
"Trying to win the girl I..." he coughed.
It took a few minutes before he was able to continue."
"I was just in time to prevent her from making the biggest mistake of her life."
"Which would have been?"
"Marrying Potter."
Draco groaned.
"Don't tell me you deliberately went there in order to disrupt their elopement."
Blaise nodded.
"Merlin, Blaise! Are you insane? If she wants to marry the twit, let her."
"I can't!"
"Why not?"
"I...
'Please no!'
"...love her."
A loud groan followed this announcement.
"You love her?"
"Yes."
"You love Weaslebee's sister?"
"Yes."
Was there anything Draco could do or say to dissuade his fellow Slytherin? Could he possibly convince him that it was just a passing folly? Highly unlikely, if he had gone to the length of preventing her marrying Potter.
"Does she love you?"
Silence, for a very long time.
"I hope so."
Draco knew that it was highly unlikely.
"You're lucky you're still alive, mate. If I were you, I wouldn't push my luck."
"She's already my wife. Now I just have to..."
"She's WHAT?" then Draco suddenly remembered what the healer had told him.
"I got an official parchment stating her to be my wife."
"You're joking, right?"
"No."
This had to be the most bizarre nightmare Draco had ever had. He could only hope to wake up, and soon!
"I know this guy at the Registry Office at the Ministry. He tipped me of about Ginny having had the paperwork filled in for an informal wedding."
"The guy at the Registry Office isn't Theo by any chance?"
"Yes."
"Mate! He's demented and should have been sacked after he nearly gave in and forged a Marriage Certificate for Astoria."
"The Greengrass girl?"
"Yeah, her."
"Whom did she want to... Oh, sorry mate, I forgot."
"Yeah, well, I can't believe he's actually done it this time."
They were silent for a while.
"Do you think I overdid it?" Blaise asked in a hushed voice.
Draco thought about it for a moment. Hermione would have hexed him with any spell she could think of, which were probably quite a few and what he knew of the fiery temper of the redhead she would do at least the same.
"Yeah."
"You think she's going to forgive me?"
"Probably not."
There was a long sigh to be heard.
"What were you thinking, mate? Did you forget what I told you about the Griffindor girls being in charge?"
It wasn't obvious, but Draco knew his friend well enough to know that he was blushing.
"You did." he sighed, "Seriously, that stunt has most likely cost you any chance you might have had with her."
The sound following was not something he would have ever thought he'd hear, Blaise was sobbing.