Wonderful News

Chapter 18

            Narcissa and Aris left the library. Guests were starting to arrive and Narcissa went to greet them. Aris waited in the hallway below the staircase for Draco and watched him come down the stairs. He was so handsome in his black tailored suit, his hair back and perfect....

            Draco looked down on the girl he'd come to love. He realized that now. She was beautiful in her black and white ball gown, her hair fixed up in curls, make-up perfect, but she was beautiful without all that, and not just on the outside but on the inside. Aris smiled up at him, it had been a while since he'd seen her smile and it made him feel better.

            Draco took her hand tightly and brought it to his lips in a totally romantic way, “You look beautiful,” he kissed her hand and then shocked her when he opened her hand palm up and kissed the inside of her palm and then gave it a quick lick with his tongue.

            “You don't look bad yourself,” she laughed at his silliness.

            “Come with me,” Draco took her hand and again she was headed to the library. He shut the door locking it behind him so no one could enter.

            “There is something I need to ask you,” he took both her hands in his, “I know that our parents  have all this arranged already but I've got to know this for myself,” and he got down on one knee on front of her, reached into his jacket pocket and took out a box opening it, “Aris, will you marry me?”

            Aris could feel the tears building in her bright green eyes as she looked into his silver-blue ones and then she looked at the ring, it was the most beautiful blue diamond set in a beautiful white gold band, the diamond was the color of his eyes.

            “I know I don't deserve you Aris, but I love you and no matter what I want to be with you,” he was looking up at her wih his heart in his eyes.

            Aris got down on her knees beside him, “Yes,” she said softly hugging him, tears of joy in her eyes, “I want to marry you Draco and I love you. I feel like I've loved you forever, even when you were so crappy to me, like coloring my hair green or dumping bat guts on me.” Draco blushed, mumbling sorry, and he took her face in his hands and gave her a soft kiss. “There is something I need to tell you.” she hesitated for a minute cause she wasn't sure how he might react, she had kept this news to herself long enough “I'm not sure yet if it's true and I hope you don't get angry,....but I've missed my period and I'm afraid I might be pregnant.”

            At first he looked at her in shock and then a huge grin lit up his face. He stood up pulling her with him, Aris still in his arms and gave a whoop of joy, picking her up and swinging her around before planting a big kiss on her.

            “Why would you think I'd be angry,” he asked with joy, “this is wonderful.”

            “Because we are so young still. But Draco, I don't want anyone to know, especially my parents. Who knows how but they would find a way to use it against me and I don't want them anywhere near my baby.”

            “I understand,” he said seriously, “it will be our secret for now,” he put his hand on her still flat stomach, “but eventually people are going to notice.”

            “I know, but right now I want it to be between us.”

            “I agree with you,” he said, and then he beamed happily, “I can't believe it, I'm going to be a father. I want a little girl with cinnamon curls and green eyes just like her mother.”

            “Well I want a sweet little boy with shiny platinum hair and blue eyes like his father,” she said hugging him.

            “Boy or girl, I don't care, I just want them to be healthy, happy,  and kind and good just like their mother,” he said softly.

            “Draco, you are kind and good,” Aris argued.

            “No, I'm not,” he said sadly, “if I were I wouldn't be in the trouble I'm in right now, and you wouldn't be involved either.”

            The conversation turned a little more serious.

            “I don't want my child to end up like me, doing something they know is wrong just to please their father or because they think it's what's going to help their family. I never want to force my child to make that decision, like my father did to me,” he said angrily. It was the first time he had showed her anger toward his father, Lucius Malfoy. Aris knew most of Draco's choices in life were based on his father's beliefs and trying to please him and she was glad Draco was finally realizing this and letting his feelings out.

            “Don't worry, I know you will never be like that,” Aris put her hand to his face lovingly, “and I believe we can make our way through this in the end and you are going to be the best of fathers.”

            Draco wasn't so sure. Yes he was happy about Aris being pregnant, but then it also gave him one more person to worry about.

            Draco and Aris entered the Malfoy's ballroom hand in hand. She gripped his tightly and he gave her hand a little squeeze, he knew it was hard for her facing her parents. There were people everywhere, people that Aris did not know. Some of them spoke to Draco. Immediately her eyes fell on her parents, who were standing near Narcissa. They watched Aris coldly.

            “Are you ready,” he whispered.

            “Yeah.”

            They made their way across the room and halfway there they were stopped by a beautiful blond about both their age, she was really tall and had brown eyes that were looking at Aris coldly, she had the look of one of those models she'd seen in some of Lanie's magazines. The girl immediately ignored Aris and grabbed Draco's arm from Aris and leaned into him, “Drakie,” she whined in a sickly sweet voice with a french accent, “please tell me it's not true, surely you aren't tying the knot. And who is this?” she asked looking down her nose at Aris. Aris could feel the anger rising, in fact her anger helped get her mind off her parents who were waiting.

            Draco shook his arm loose from the beautiful girl and took Aris's hand back in his, “Greta, this is my future wife and fiancée, Aris. She is the girl I love and yes I am tying the knot.”

            She huffed and then stormed off muttering something about Aris and about Draco not being the same, “An ex-girlfriend?” Aris asked, shooting fire with her green eyes.

            “A very ex-girlfriend, like two years ago, and it didn't last long. She couldn't stop looking in a mirror long enough to give me the time of day,” he explained, “I'm sorry about that,” and he reached down giving her a quick kiss. He started toward her parents and felt her squeezing his hand again. They both made it over to their parents.

            “Aris,” her mother said her name with false sweetness, “it's good to see you,” and her mother hugged her, kissing her cheek. Aris kept her arms by her side, she wasn't fooled by her mother’s acting and she couldn't remember a single time in the past that her mother ever hugged her let alone kissed her.

            And then her father spoke, “You look well daughter,” he said looking down on her with that dark look of displeasure he always used on her. His eyes the same color as hers, only they held no warmth in them, “I'm glad you finely saw fit to join us. You know you’re lucky that this fine young man would have you after your refusal to join us here at Christmas.”

            Draco could feel the rage bubbling up in him for Aris's father. He knew how her parents had treated her all her life, she'd told him everything, “Actually sir,” Draco said with his Malfoy sneer, “I'm the one who's lucky she would have me,” and he took Aris by the hand.

            “Well enough of that,” Narcissa spoke up kindly, “Draco, why don't you take Aris to get something to eat or maybe you two would like to dance.” Music had been playing in the background.

            “Yes mother,” Draco agreed.

            Before they walked off Aris's father grabbed her arm, “I will need to speak with you later in private,” he demanded.

            Aris walked off with Draco. She couldn't help it but she was trembling, she felt trapped here, surrounded by people she didn't know, who were all probably deatheaters or working for the dark lord somehow.

            Draco could tell by looking at her that she didn't feel well, he grabbed a glass of punch and took her hand leading her through some french doors and out onto a terrace outside the ballroom, “I thought you might be able to use a little fresh air.”

            “Thank you,” she whispered, still trembling slightly.

            “Are you cold?” he took her in his arms.

            “No, it's just facing my father and being surrounded by all those people. Draco, my fathers an evil wizard, I can't prove it but it's something I know, I've always felt it since I was a child.”

            “You've got me now, I won't let him hurt you,” he said passionately, kissing her deeply. After a little bit they both went back in before they were missed. Draco had her eat a little and then he led her out on the dance floor. Just when Aris was starting to relax, being in Draco's arms always did that, her father came and asked for a dance, and she couldn't refuse him and create a scene. It was really awkward dancing with her father who had never done anything with her or touched her in any way, not even for a hug. When the music was over he told her to follow him and he led her into the Malfoy library, closing the door behind him, her mother was already in there.

            “Have a seat,” he demanded, Aris started to refuse but figured she better hear him out, she sat down on the sofa.

            “I am glad to see that you are finally doing something to make your parents proud,” he said his, voice snide “and there is something you are going to do to make us even prouder.”

            “And what would that be father?” Aris asked smartly, “and how come you’re proud of me now?”

            “Watch your tone with your father,” her mother hissed.

            “I'm sorry mother. What would that be father?” she asked with fake sweetness.

            Her father looked at her coldly, “Why, you are marrying Draco Malfoy, of course. He comes from a very long family history of purebloods. He will keep this family's purity intact not to mention the fact that he might succeed where we failed in raising you.”

            “By fail, do you mean treating me coldly and preaching your constant hate which I refused to accept,” she said angrily.

            “If we treated you coldly it was your own fault,” her mother chimed in.

            “Why because I'd rather be like Uncle Tiberius and because I became a Gryffindor and not one of your precious Slytherins,” she spat.

            “That's correct,” and he moved to stand over her, “you can't imagine the shame it brought me and your mother when we received the news but everything will be corrected now that you are marrying Draco. This will help insure that my grandchildren will be brought up right, as pureblood Slytherins and not some filthy Gryffindors,” he stated coldly but with triumph.

            “You are a crazy bastard if you think I will let you have anything to do with my children,” she looked up at him, “and the same goes for Draco. My child will have the right to be who they are, not what some sadistic asshole tries to force them to be,” she shouted up at him angrily.

            “Why you little bitch,” her father shouted, and then he slapped her hard, “you will do as you’re told and speaking of that we have a job for you, you are to spy on Harry Potter and possibly help give us information.”

            “Never!”

            “You will do as your told,” her father screeched, grabbing her harshly by the shoulder.

            “I will not, you don't own me and you have no control over me you bastard,” she spat back at him.

            And then her father slapped her again, only this time it was even harder than the first. Aris was dizzy from it and could almost see stars. She could feel blood trickling down from her bottom lip, but she did not care, she wasn't giving in to him for anything.