Ch. 48

"So, when should we plan the weddings?" Lucius asked nonchalantly.

Hermione and Ginny nearly choked on their wine and Narcissa gave his arm a smack. "Lucius!"

They had spent the evening on the second floor terrace overlooking the gardens. Narcissa had opened a bottle of wine for her, Hermione, and Ginny, while the boys had opted for firewhiskey that Lucius poured for them.

"Father, I don't think now's the best time to discuss this," Draco said as he patted Hermione's back while she coughed.

Hermione finished coughing and sat up straight. "They haven't even proposed to us yet."

Lucius scowled at Blaise and Draco. "Come now, boys! I proposed to Narcissa immediately after marking her!"

Narcissa smacked his arm again, her cheeks flushing but a smile on her face. "We don't need to pressure them."

"I'm not trying to pressure them, dear," Lucius said in a light tone. "I just think that it's never too early to start planning."

Ginny and Hermione looked at each other before Ginny downed her wine, her face nearly as red as her hair. Narcissa quickly poured her another glass and gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, girls; Lucius can be a little insensitive sometimes."

"Nonsense," Lucius answered. "I've just always been looking forward to having a daughter-in-law. And with Blaise being our godson, we're essentially getting two now."

He beamed at Hermione and Ginny, and Hermione couldn't help but feel happy as well. Draco smiled at her, feeding off of her joy. Ginny on the other hand, felt a little apprehensive of this, which Blaise felt. He gave Ginny an odd look, who in turn forced a smile at her Veela. Blaise raised an eyebrow but she shook her head at him.

"We'll talk later," She whispered to him.

"Alright, alright; I'll drop the subject," Lucius said, not noticing Ginny's reaction, "But I do think it would be wonderful if at least Draco and Hermione's ceremony was held here. Maybe in the gardens?"

"Father!"

The couples all split apart to go to their respective wings to prepare for dinner. Blaise took this time to speak to Ginny after they had gone to his wing and he had cast a silencing charm on their door and windows.

"What's wrong, Ginny?" He asked, turning to look at her.

She sighed and sat down on the bed, looking down at her hands in her lap. "This is just a little difficult for me, Blaise. I know they've changed, I can see it in everything they do. It's just...hard to get past everything and leave it in the past."

Blaise made his way over to her, sitting down quietly next to her and saying, "I know it's hard. Especially with everything your mother brought up yesterday at dinner. I want to help you but I don't know how."

She shook her head and sighed, giving him a small smile. "Unfortunately, I think this is something that I need to get over myself. From the sounds of things, we'll be spending a lot of time here since they are essentially your adoptive parents."

"They are in the same way that your parents are like Hermione's extra family," He said thoughtfully. "By the way, Draco got the speech from your father about Hermione. I think he gave Draco more of a speech than he did me."

"Well, Draco's tortured Hermione more than you have done anything to me," Ginny said with a shrug. "I wouldn't be surprised if everyone who knows us gave him more of a speech than they do you."

Blaise grinned. "I did learn something though about Lucius that should help you thought."

Ginny looked at him curiously while he smiled. "Lucius donated a large sum of money to your father's department to keep them there. He said that your father's department was a vital part of the Ministry."

She stared at him, her mouth hanging open. She knew her father spent a good week of the summer extremely stressed over something, but after that week he was no longer stressed. There was one night she had gone down to the kitchen to get a midnight snack and found him sitting at the kitchen table, staring at a wall. He had looked at her silently, no expression on his face and told her quietly to always give people a second chance. She wasn't sure what he had meant as that was the only thing he had said to her that night and didn't acknowledge their brief interaction ever again, but now she understood.

She felt the tears fill her eyes and she looked away from him, putting a hand over her mouth. He was confused until he felt her surprise and gratefulness. He pulled her to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"I had no idea," She said quietly. "Dad never mentioned it to us."

"He told Draco that, I think to reinforce the fact that he believed we had both changed," Blaise said just as quietly. "Draco didn't know this either."

Ginny stayed silent, thinking over everything. After all, Lucius and Narcissa had been nothing but nice to them, and Narcissa would always check to make sure the two girls were comfortable. She knew they had changed. Maybe it was time to finally bury the past and move forward.

After an hour, everyone met in the dining room again where dinner was served. The topics of conversation ranged from Ginny's future with the Holyhead Harpies to random stories from Hogwarts.

"Hermione," Ginny started, "Didn't you use a Confundus charm on McLaggen during quidditch tryouts?"

Hermione groaned. "I had to; he was so egotistical."

"How did you get away with that?" Narcissa asked curiously. "And might I say, that was very Slytherin of you!"

Hermione blushed slightly. "Well, I had mastered a few wandless spells at that point..."

"A few?!" Draco interjected. Then he took her hand and look at his parents with pride. "At that point, I think Hermione had mastered every wandless spell and practically every spell that could be done silently. I'm still learning what all she can do, which at this point is anything!"

She smacked his arm and scowled at him, still blushing furiously. Lucius, however, beamed at her. "Well, no one should doubt her skill. I'm fairly certain I've been the victim of a few of her curses and jinxes, as well as a few of Ginny's."

"Draco was on the worse end of Ginny's Bat-Bogey Hex once," Hermione said, nodding to Ginny.

Lucius gave Ginny a shocked look. "You'll have to demonstrate that for me some time; I don't think I've seen that particular hex in action."

Draco flinched and hid his nose under his hand, causing Ginny and Hermione to laugh. "Don't worry, Draco. If anything, Blaise or one of my brothers will be my next unlucky victim."

Every laughed around the table while Blaise scowled at his mate. A sudden ringing sound silenced everyone, and Narcissa gave Lucius a confused look. "Who could be apparating here at this hour?"

Lucius shrugged and stood up, excusing himself to answer the door. Narcissa watched him leave and then turned back to the table, trying to reignite the conversation.