The Life and Times of Denebola Black

a/n Okay. So this chapter is only like 75% as long as the average chapter length for this story, but I couldn't help it. I had such issues writing it, or I should say that I had such troubles writing what would come after it. I haad something written but since it would do absolutely nothing for my plot except show you that Deni does in fact go to work I took it out and lo, short chapter that is all about Draco baring his soul to her. He's kinda ooc but he's going to go back to his normal non-drunk self after, its just for this chapter because he's trying to get her "back."


It was now the next day and Draco had come to call at Black Manor in his favorite black dress robes. When he knocked on the door a house elf escorted him to a formal sitting room as far away from the family living quarters as possible. When Deni entered the room ten minutes later she was a picture of elegance in a blue dress that swished around her knees under an open gold robe.

She sat in a chair opposite him with her legs croosed and her hands folded in her lap. It was her first goal to make him as uncomfortable as possible purely through her body language and tone of voice. She had yet to speak but she could see that it was already working, as the usually calm and collected young Malfoy was squirming in his seat. She looked him over with deliberately calculating eyes before speaking in a cold voice. "And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I... I came to apologize," he answered.

"I want you to tell me exactly what it is you are apologizing for and why you feel that you should," she told him.

He sat back and thought a moment to decide what the proper thing to respond with would be. When he finally did speak, looking straight into her eyes, his voice practically shook with emotions that he was trying valiantly to quell. "Deni-" she cleared her throat and he started again.

"Miss Black. I am apologizing to you for my unbecoming actions toward your person last night. I treated you with the utmost disrespect. I treated you like an object, rather than a person. First and foremost, I am apologizing because I consider you to be a friend and if one of my friends treated me that way I would have done a lot more than what you have done to me... so far. I have spoken to my father, and he has explained to me where my judgement failed me. I am also apologizing because I am truely sorry. I hope you believe me, and I hope you can find it in you to forgive me."

Not one muscle on her face twitched; not one emotion ran through her features. "Why did you do it?"

With a slight pink tinge to his cheeks he told her about seeing her with his father and then informed her of the entirety of his conversation with him, adding in that the reason he ended up drunk was because he drank more and more as he realized that the date wasn't going all too well and he had lost track of how much he had drank. She still had yet to show any reaction to his words and he was quickly becoming worried that she had changed her mind about giving him a second chance.

Just when he was about to try and dissuade her of the notion, she cocked her head to the side, a slight frown on her face. "Why do you want to marry me, Draco?" Her voice had changed from apathetic steel to genuine curiousity, taking him by surprise as much as the question itself.

"Do you mean why do I want to marry you instead of Pansy or why do you want to marry me in general?"

"Either. Both. Whichever you want to tell me."

"I don't really care to go into a tirade of Pansy's less finer points, but suffice it to say that I would never have even chosen to be her friend if my parents hadn't had us betrothed at birth. I want to marry you because we get along, we're friends and I care for you. I like that I can talk to you about anything and you willl listen without judgement before trying to help me out and I like the amazing displays of torture you put on. I would have never taken you as one to make people suffer in such a way before. I don't doubt that in time I could love you. Not to mention that you're absolutely stunning and we would have some good looking children between the two of us." He was smirking as he said the last sentance, but he wasn't nearly as confident as he was showing.

Something indistinguishable flashed in her heavily guarded eyes and he thought that he should expand just a tad so just before she could respond he continued, only this time with hesitance and a sigh while looking somewhere near his shoes because it was something that he had no intention of ever telling her. Or anyone for that matter. "I had such a crush on you at Hogwarts. When you were still Hermione Granger. You were so smart, and you weren't afraid to stand up to me. I just never saw myself with someone who's a pushover and would do anything I wanted just because of who I am and who my father is. If you don't choose me that's going to be even worse now that Father is the Minister, but that doesn't really have anything to do with anything else."

"You liked me before?" In response he nodded his head almost imperceptably. "Then why were you such an ass?"

"You were a mudblood. Everything I believe wanted you to die, thought you should never have been allowed into our world; into any world. I felt dirty for harboring anything other than hate and disdain for you. You have no idea how happy and relieved I was when we found out that you were a pureblood. And if you recall, I do believe that I was the first Slytherin to be nice to you."

Deni had had this conversation with Blaise in his vineyard. Apparently he had had a crush on her when they were heads together. She knew that both men were telling the truth; she had slipped them each a form of truth serum where they weren't forced to tell the truth, but if they were to lie she would know it as she had taken the corresponding dose to the serum that the 'inquisitor' imbibes. Had either of them lied, and Blaise had over a small thing that was inconsequential, then a slight buzzing sound would go off in her ear.

She stood up and crossed the room, settling herself in his lap. She then brought her hand to his face and traced his jawline with her fingertips. She felt him shift his weight underneath her. When she spoke she looked into his eyes, her own full of warmth. "If I choose you, I'm sure you will have some stipulations. What are they? After all, I need to know so I have a more accurate picture to compare with Blaise."

Hesitantly he rested his wrist on her thigh, his hand floating in the air. "Really, the only thing that I would want as a guarantee is that you will be faithful to me."

"There are many different ways of being faithful. I can promise that as my husband I would put you first. I can promise that I will always back you up in public. I can promise that I will treat you with respect so long as I'm not really mad at you. I can promise that I will stop sleeping with your father. But I can also promise that when it comes to the Dark Lord, the word 'no' will never cross my lips, no matter what is asked of me. That is my answer, you can take it or leave it." She then leant forward and kissed him so light that their lips almost didn't meet. When he started to kiss her back she pulled away. "Draco, I forgave you before you even walked into my house." She then stood up and walked out of the room.