The Not So Good Girl

The second day of their stay was Halloween, and Virginie was pissed about missing the Hogwarts Halloween feast; after all, it was their last year at Hogwarts, and she resented that she had to be here, at Malfoy Manor, being constantly watched by snooty Narcissa. She wouldn’t be so bitter, perhaps, if the day had started differently.

“Wake UP!” Selenia bellowed from her portrait. She had returned sometime in the middle of the night.

Draco started, waking Virginie. “I’d better get back to my room, babe,” he said, leaning over to give her many small kisses.

“ENOUGH!” Selenia screamed. “You should be ashamed! You aren’t even married!”

She continued to scream while they continued kissing.

“I’ll see you down at breakfast soon,” he said. “Just make sure you get ready before you come down. They’re really particular about that.”

He gave her one last kiss and headed down to his own room.

Virginie stretched out in the enormous bed, sighing happily as she did so. When she finally decided to get up and begin getting ready, she wrapped a bed sheet around her (more for Selenia’s good than her own—what did she have to be ashamed of?) and began looking in the closet to find something to wear. She settled on a black pencil skirt and white collared shirt when, as if she had been Summoned, there was a knock at her door and Narcissa appeared, carrying a small red velvet box.

“A gift from Lucius and myself,” she said, presenting it to Virginie. “This has been in the Malfoy family for generations.”

Virginie opened the box, which revealed an obviously ancient emerald and diamond tennis bracelet that was set in white gold. “Oh…Narcissa, this is lovely, but…how can I accept this?”

“My dear,” Narcissa sneered. “If you think that is impressive, it’s just the beginning.” She held out her ring finger to make her point—on it was a wedding ring so humungous, Virginie didn’t understand how she could move her hand.

“Thank you,” she said, touching it lightly. “It’s lovely, I mean it.”

“You’re welcome,” Narcissa said.

To her surprise, Narcissa sat on the bed instead of leaving. Virginie didn’t know what to do…did she dress in front of Narcissa, or simply make conversation until she left? Instead, she excused herself on the pretense of needing a shower. Narcissa followed her. Luckily, she saw, Narcissa wouldn’t be able to see into the shower if she stayed in the bathroom.

“You needn’t be modest,” Narcissa said. “Be proud of what you have.”

Freak, Virginie thought, shampooing her hair faster than she ever had before.

“When I was your age, Lucius’s mother used to follow me everywhere. She insisted that she needed to see what her son was to have. I never understood that. Did she think I had some sort of deformity beneath my robes?”

What. The. Fuck. Virginie thought, now lathering up her washcloth with soap. These people are freaks.

“You know, you and Draco shall have it a lot easier than Lucius and I,” Narcissa continued.

“How is that?” Virginie asked.

“Well,” she laughed. “Lucius’s parents came in on our wedding night….to be sure the marriage was consummated.”

Virginie almost fainted with shock. “Er…you won’t do that, will you?”

Narcissa laughed. “No, dear. I have no desire to see such a thing. Perhaps my husband does. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Incredulous, Virginie stepped from the shower in her towel. She knew the shock was showing on her face, but she didn’t care. Before arriving, she had known the Malfoys would be different, but she’d just expected lots of Dark Arts paraphernalia, not this. Not Narcissa Malfoy telling her that Lucius Malfoy may, if he had the inkling, be in the room as she and Draco made love for the first time as husband and wife. There was no way that was happening. She’d be sure of it. If she had to fly Draco to Romania under an Invisibility charm, she’d be sure his father wasn’t in the room when they were having sex, ever.

The mansion was alive when she came down for breakfast. House elves were fleeting about, decorating the home for the evening’s Halloween festivities. Apparently Halloween was a big deal at the Malfoys’, but Virginie intended to stay out of the way. Truthfully, she was already exhausted from the pressure she felt from Draco’s parents, as well as the feeling of constantly being watched. Plus, she was sure there would be unsavory characters at their home tonight, and she didn’t want to be around such people.

Draco looked ravishing at the dining room table. All her misery forgotten, she sat next to him, and he welcomed her with a small kiss. She practically melted into the floor.

“How did you sleep?” Lucius asked.

“Very well, thank you,” she said with a small smile, placing her napkin gently in her lap.

“Good,” he said, returning to his Daily Prophet. “Narcissa, darling, there is an article about our little soiree this evening…”

“Well it’s about time…we’ve been throwing it for years. Only the best for us.”

After eating, she and Draco decided to escape the madness of the house and went for a walk.

“I know my family’s insane,” he said, as soon as they were off the grounds. “But…they’re just rooted in tradition. I don’t expect you to stay home, of course. Well…perhaps after we’ve had children, for a bit…”

“I know, Draco,” she replied, adjusting the emerald bracelet around her wrist. For some reason, she couldn’t help but think that it was somehow binding her to the Malfoys…

“Do you like it?” he said coldly, looking at her wrist. “It’s ancient. Only the best for us.”

“I love it,” she grinned, standing on her tiptoes to give him a kiss. “It’s beautiful.”

He placed his hand around her waist and they walked on. They ambled in silence for a few moments, then Draco spoke.

“I can’t lie to you, Virginie,” he said sharply, his old tone of voice, so foreign to her now, creeping back. “I’m not a good person. There are things you need to understand about this family if you’re going to be a part of it. You’re first class, just like us, but I’m not just talking about behaviour…

“My family has a lot of Dark wizards. We don’t like Mudbloods—” Virginie flinched as he said it, “—and I expect you to behave the same way.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he put a finger over her lips.

“I know Granger is your best friend, and that’s fine—but I don’t want you consorting with her in front of my parents, ever. She won’t be able to come to our wedding. Understand that now. In fact, I doubt any of your friends will be able to come.

“And that bracelet you’re wearing? It’ll let my parents and me know if you step out of line: if you tell family secrets, if you out anyone, if you cheat on me. And you can’t ever take it off, not while you’re part of this family, so get used to it.

“I don’t mean you can’t talk about us to your friends or your family,” he said, a trace of gentleness back in his voice. “But any family secrets, anything you hear about the Dark Arts, you can’t mention. Do you understand?”

She nodded, staring at the ground, her eyes welling full of tears.

“Look at me,” he said sharply, tilting her chin up so she would look him in the eye.

“I understand, Draco,” she said just as sharply, looking into his grey eyes. “I told you, no matter what, I love you.”

He seemed to transform immediately into the old Draco. “I love you, too, darling,” he said haughtily, and he once again took her hand and led her back to Malfoy Manor.

And, even after all this, her feelings for him never faltered.

Halloween at the Malfoys’ was delightful and horrid all at once. Guests began arriving around seven, when Virginie was curling her hair. She had decided to just pull it half up, because, despite all the guests, it was always rather cold here. Her dress robes for the occasion were on the bed, waiting to be donned, and her black satin pumps lay next to it on the bed. She looked in the mirror and found that she hardly recognized herself. How very grown she appeared. The emerald bracelet sparkled on her wrist as she put on matching emerald and diamond earrings.

Someone knocked, and she asked them to enter, though she was wearing just a bra and slip. It was Draco, clutching something in his hand. He looked ravishing in his emerald dress robes. Oh, how she ached for him…it would be hard keeping her hands off him tonight…

“You look stunning,” he said, pausing behind her chair at the vanity. “After you’ve dressed, I have something for you.”

“I’m ready now,” she said, standing. He held the dress for her while she pulled it over her head. It was rather low-cut and she had to do some adjusting before she turned back to Draco, who gaped at the ample amount of cleavage showing.

“My gift?” she asked, an evil glint in her eye.

“Unnnnnnnnngh,” he said.

“Tsk, tsk, Draco,” she admonished, pulling him toward her by the neck of his robes. “No naughty thoughts…”

She kissed him seductively on the lips.

“We could stay up here,” he suggested, rubbing her sides.

“Or you could give me my gift and we could go to the party your parents have been planning all year.”

He spanked her and turned her toward the mirror, opening the box behind her.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered, kissing her neck. She did as she was told. Something cold hit her neck, and she could feel Draco’s long fingers fastening the necklace…oh, those fingers…

“Open,” he said, breaking her daydream.

She obeyed. An elegant white gold necklace held a teardrop emerald and diamond pendant that matched her earrings exactly. “Oh, Draco…” she breathed.

He smirked, wrapped his hands around her waist, and kissed her lightly on the neck. Each kiss seemed to burn into her skin, and she moaned softly at each one. Their moment, however, was interrupted with a sharp knock on the door, followed by the entry of a house elf.

“Young Master, your mother has asked for you and Miss de Gaulle to greet the guests at the entryway,” squeaked the tiny creature.

“Yes, fine,” Draco bellowed, running his hands up her sides once more. She shivered.

The large foyer was quickly becoming crowded with guests. Narcissa shooed Draco to get at the end, next to her, to greet the guests. They first, of course, met Lucius at the door, then Narcissa and Draco, then Virginie, who was apparently being treated as though she were Draco’s wife, instead of a casual girlfriend. She didn’t understand how she had come here as Draco’s girlfriend and seemed to be leaving as a fiancée.

Streams of wizards and witches poured in, most, she saw, bearing gifts for the Malfoys. All were very keen to meet her, and a few of them recognized her last name and began speaking French to her. They were nicer than she had anticipated, these guests, and she found herself enjoying the meet and greet at the front door.

That was, she enjoyed herself until she saw two very familiar faces frame the massive oak doorway leading to the foyer.

“Shit,” she whispered, and Draco turned to her. “My parents!”

He looked at the stately-looking older man, her father, with the young-looking blonde witch, her mother.

“Etienne,” she heard Lucius say with his unfaltering voice. “So glad you could make it. And this must be your wife? Ah, bonjour Lisette, a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Stop looking at me like that,” she snapped at Draco, whose desire for her was written all over his face. “I don’t want my father to see.”

They passed Narcissa, smiling graciously, which Virginie was sure was an act. Her parents had never spoken well of the Malfoys. Her stomach churned as they reached Draco, and their eyes turned immediately toward their daughter’s familiar face.

“Virginie?” her mother asked incredulously, her eyes wide. “Here? Why?”

“Mother, Father,” she said, her French accent very prominent now. “This is Draco Malfoy. My boyfriend.”

They gawked.

“We will discuss this later,” her father said in French. Turning to Draco, he said, “Lovely to meet you, Draco. A pleasure.”

Her mother did the same, and they departed.

“What did your father say?” Draco whispered as her parents made their way into the large hall adjoining the foyer, talking rapidly in French.

“He said, ‘We’ll discuss this later,’” she said, her stomach churning more than ever.

He grinned maliciously. “You’re in trouble. You’re such a naughty girl. Do you need spanking?”

“I’ll spank her for you, Draco,” a rather portly man in maroon robes said, a dirty grin on his face. He had obviously overheard their entire exchange. “Wow, what a looker you’ve got yourself.”

Draco looked rather disgusted at this blatant outburst for a moment, but then said, “Virginie, this is David. He’s an American correspondent for the Prophet. David, Virginie…my girlfriend.”

She smiled politely, as if he hadn’t been rude a moment before. When he left, Draco turned to her and snapped in her ear.

“Hard to believe he’s Pureblood, the way he behaves.”

Virginie smiled faintly and turned to watch David make his way into the hall and tried to ignore that Draco had just said that. Before long, however, his comment was forgotten as they made their way into the hall with all the other guests and began to celebrate Halloween. Virginie and Draco snuck away around ten, and she didn’t have the opportunity to see her parents before they left…not that she was disappointed.