Prosapia Gemma-The Family Jewel

Harry was already bright red, looking awkwardly at the wall. Quinn blushed similarly crimson and edged away from Fred. Quinn noticed that Harry was inching away from Ginny's door. She smiled slightly. Harry stepped away from the door.

"Potter," Fred said in a very harsh tone. "What exactly were you doing, trying to sneak into my baby sister's room?" Quinn looked at Fred in surprise. She'd never seen him so protective and brotherly. He was glaring at Harry with a flash in his eyes. Quinn edged away from him a bit more.

"Well, I, I uh..." Harry stuttered nervously, not able to meet Fred's eyes. Fred's posture changed and he let out a booming laugh. He reached out and grabbed Quinn's hand, pulling her close again.

"Relax, Harry. Let's go get some breakfast." He turned and led them down to the kitchen. Quinn and Harry walked in awkward silence. Fred whistled slightly under his breath as he began to gather some food from the cupboards. Apparently he was unaware of how nervous Quinn and Harry seemed to feel around each other. They sat down at the table and Quinn fidgeted nervously.

"I wasn't..." Harry stuttered again. "I wanted to talk to Ginny about what happened in the spring." Fred looked up from the toast he was magically buttering. Harry stuttered once more. Quinn wondered if he was always this timid around the Weasleys - she decided it was probably her presence that put him on edge. Indeed, Harry was looking at her with apprehension in his eyes.

"You want to know why she was there?" Quinn asked. It wasn't really a question, but she didn't know Harry well enough to assume she was correct. He looked at her, obviously a bit startled.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I thought she'd feel better talking about it now she's had some time to recover," he explained. "Plus, she's home safe with her family now."

"I'm not certain she would even remember though." Quinn played with the ends of her hair as she thought back to the ritual. "She was really out of it. And the look on her face," Quinn realized too late that she was saying more than she should. No one could know she was an Animagus, or about her participation in the ritual. She would have to be more careful. Thankfully, neither Harry nor Fred seemed to notice.

Fred brought over plates with toast, eggs, and fruit. Quinn wondered if she trusted him enough to eat it. She decided that she did- either that or her hunger was clouding her judgment. She grabbed some toast to munch.

"I thought she might at least tell me how it happened," Harry said with a sigh. "I know Dumbledore said not to ask, but I just thought it would help figure something out, we need to know if they're still after her."

Quinn nearly choked on her toast. For some reason, that thought had never even occurred to her. She looked up at Fred worriedly.

"I don't think Ginny will remember," Fred said through a mouthful of strawberries. "It's not as if any of the Death Eaters would have taken time to explain their great plan to her, would they?" Harry sighed.

"No, I suppose not. I just thought-" Harry was cut off when the fire roared high and Ginny herself stumbled out of it and into the room. Quinn jumped up and hugged Ginny, happy to see her friend again. Hermione jumped from the fire next, followed by Mrs. Weasley.

Quinn smiled self-consciously. This was the first time she had seen Mrs. Weasley since starting to date Fred. A moment of awkward silence stretched out but Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly and embraced Quinn in a hug. Quinn blushed furiously.

"How is your summer going dear?" she asked, her arm still around Quinn. Quinn couldn't stop smiling.

"It's much better now I'm here," she admitted. "Thank you so much for having me." Mrs. Weasley waved away Quinn's attempt at gratitude.

"Fred, if you've done anything to that food, you'll be de-gnoming for the rest of the summer," she barked, examining the breakfast Fred had prepared.

"Mum, I'm working the rest of the summer, remember?" Fred said happily. "You'll have to find a new de-gnomer. Perhaps Ron will misbehave soon and you can force him to do it." Fred put in hopefully. Mrs. Weasley scowled at him. Quinn felt the urge to hug her again as everyone sat down to eat.

* * *

Aislinn woke early the next morning to the sound of her door banging open. She sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily. When she opened them, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Draco was striding toward her bed with an extremely arrogant smirk on his face. He appeared to have just woken up, his hair was slightly disheveled and he looked fairly groggy. Aislinn pulled her covers up to her neck, but was too shocked to speak. She watched him take off his robe and climb onto her bed. Aislinn was caught off guard by the sight of him in his black silk pajama bottoms. Quidditch training has been good for him, she thought absently as her eyes moved over his lean, muscular chest and arms. His stomach was perfectly defined and she saw a light trail of blonde hair creeping down into his pants. Aislinn shook her head to clear her thoughts. This was Draco, Draco who was suddenly kissing her.

She felt him cover her lips with his own as he gently pushed her back onto the pillow. Aislinn felt her body going weak and beginning to give into him. This kiss was definitely different than the one they had shared at Dunvegan. She could practically feel the power coming off him in waves. His lips were so soft and he smelled so wonderful. The feeling of his fingers on her bare shoulders sent chills down her spine. He was gripping firmly, not enough to hurt, but enough to show possession. Her whole body tingled and Aislinn had never felt more sensual in her whole life. She never wanted this to end. Draco moved down her throat and as she felt his lips on her neck, Aislinn was painfully reminded of Lucius. Her mind cleared instantly and she sat up so fast that Draco almost fell off the bed.

"What are you doing?" Aislinn exclaimed as she came back to her senses. Draco sat up and smirked again.

"I am claiming what is mine." Draco pushed Aislinn back on the pillow but she rolled away from him, still clutching the covers.

"You're what?" she exclaimed. She was hoping she had misunderstood what he had said. Draco was impossibly vain, but what on earth had given him the idea that she was his?

"I said, I am claiming what is mine. Father told me this morning that you and I are to be married once you complete school. It is your grandfather's wish, and he isn't to be crossed. I would never go against the Dark Lord and I must tell you, I rather like the idea myself. And I know that you must be thrilled about it, getting to spend the rest of your life with me. I'm sure most girls would sell their soul to get the chance to kiss me, let alone marry me." Draco was looking at Aislinn with a smug expression as he approached her again. The very idea of spending her entire life with Draco Malfoy was enough to send her straight to St. Mungo's. At the moment she couldn't think of anything that could possibly be a worse idea than a marriage between the two of them. She couldn't quite understand why Draco knew so much about it; he had been told firsthand by his parents, when hers hadn't even given her the courtesy of informing her by a letter.

"But what about Pansy? I thought you two were together." Aislinn was desperately trying to think of reasons that would make him see how wrong this was.

Draco laughed. "Me and Parkinson? She wishes."

"Um, well," Aislinn began looking frantically around the room for another reason, and her eyes landed on his head causing her to say the first thing that came to mind. "I'm not blonde. The Malfoys are always blonde."

"I am glad you aren't blonde. My family needs a little diversity. Besides, dark hair is mysterious." Draco looked at her hungrily as he moved toward her once more.

"Draco, we can't do this." Aislinn was starting to panic as she scooted back against the headboard. She looked around the room quickly and added, "The door is open. Someone could come in."

"That can be fixed." Draco shifted and removed his slipper. He threw it at the door, causing it to slam shut. Aislinn wouldn't have been surprised if he had woken the entire house.

He smirked at his accomplishment and turned his attention to her again. "We can do whatever we like Aislinn. You're of age aren't you? Surely you don't want to go against our families." Draco played with a piece of her hair as he pulled the covers away from her neck. He moved behind her and Aislinn froze again as he put his hands on her bare shoulders and gently brushed her hair out of the way. He slowly began kissing the back of her neck and Aislinn closed her eyes as she felt her hand move up to cup the back of Draco's head. She ran her fingers through his hair. It was incredibly soft. Aislinn felt her self-control waning and she closed her eyes to gather strength. She would not let this happen. She pulled away from him and got up from the bed. Aislinn began walking toward the door when she heard a woman's voice.

"Hello Draco darling, is Aislinn there?" Aislinn froze in mid-step. Narcissa Malfoy's head was in her fireplace and she was talking to Draco as if it were perfectly natural to find him half-naked in Aislinn's bed. Draco gestured lazily to Aislinn and Mrs. Malfoy turned her head.

"Aislinn, what a lovely gown." Aislinn looked down at herself, still wide eyed. Her gown was plain white satin with thin straps and it covered her legs all the way down to her ankles. She suspected that Mrs. Malfoy was being polite because there was nothing special about her sleepwear.

"Mrs. Malfoy, I can explain why Draco is here. Erm..."

"It's all right Aislinn," Narcissa laughed. "Lucius and I expected something like this after we told Draco the news. Don't worry about it at all. I was just calling to tell you that we will be leaving for London at ten. That should give you plenty of time to, ah, take care of things and then get ready to go. Draco can bring you to the drawing room when you are ready." Narcissa smiled at Aislinn and then at Draco and disappeared.

Aislinn absolutely could not believe what she had just heard. Where they all raving mad? Mrs. Malfoy had practically given Draco and herself permission to shag, in their house. She had even given the two of them time to do so before they left for the day. What was wrong with this family? What was Aislinn going to say to make Draco leave her alone? Aislinn looked at Draco who was leaning back against her pillows with his arms crossed, studying her. Suddenly she became very aware of what she was wearing.

"Draco, this can't happen. I'm not taking the anti-conception potion." That was the truth, and judging by the look on Draco's face, he knew it too. Aislinn had never needed to use it before. In the short time since she had turned fifteen, the wizarding age of consent, she had either been pining over Draco, or despising him completely. She was glad this hadn't happened seven or eight months ago, there would have been no denying him then. Aislinn pushed the thought from her mind and spoke again.

"I'm going to take a shower now, and I will be locking the door." Aislinn gave him a look of warning as he got off her bed.

"Don't bother," he said as he picked up his robe from the chair and put it on. "I'm leaving. Father and I have a few things to do while you and mother are in London. I need to go and shower myself, unless you would rather shower together?" He raised his eyebrows and grinned. Aislinn was not amused.

"No Draco, I would rather shower alone thank you." Aislinn crossed her arms and stood firm to let him know that she was serious.

Draco's grin faded into his usual arrogant smirk. "All right then, I'll go." He brushed past her and stopped at the door. "Be ready at ten, I'll be here to bring you to the drawing room." Draco stared at her and she could tell that he was angry. Aislinn couldn't have him mad at her, it would ruin everything. She couldn't lose her only source of information where her father's plans were concerned, not to mention the fact that she simply did not want him angry with her. She had to make this right. Aislinn closed her eyes briefly and gathered her nerve. She slowly walked toward him. Draco narrowed his eyes as she came closer, he seemed to know what she was doing but he didn't move. Aislinn moved so that her body was pressing lightly against his. She looked into his eyes and then positioned her lips where they were close enough to kiss him. Aislinn stood there for a moment, not moving at all. She was amazed at how controlled he was as he stared into her eyes and didn't even blink.

Aislinn then leaned forward and placed her lips very briefly on his. Draco stepped back and nodded, eyeing her suspiciously. He then turned and left the room.

After he left, Aislinn sighed to herself and walked into her bathroom. She turned on the tap and stepped out of her gown, then stepped into the shower and felt a sudden longing that she could not suppress. As much as she hated him, Aislinn wanted Draco more than she had wanted anything in her life. She wanted to know what it would be like to have him touch her, really touch her, just once. Aislinn let the hot water run over her body and imagined that it was Draco's hands, caressing her tenderly. She closed her eyes and let the feeling take her. Aislinn kept her eyes closed as she began to wash her body and she could have sworn that she heard someone else breathing lightly behind her. Her eyes shot open and turned around to see Draco standing there.

* * *

Quinn and Fred spent the morning together, trying to find somewhere to be alone. They took a walk through the garden around The Burrow.

"When does the store open then?" Quinn asked as they made a path through the field. She sneezed just as Fred answered. "What?"

"We don't have the exact date yet. Late July, I think," Fred took her hand and looked at her with a rare display of worry. "Will you come to the opening?"

"Yeah, Aislinn and I will both be there. You aren't worried are you? Your inventions are always brilliant, especially when you're not using them on me."

"Not really worried, just anxious. George and I have been planning this for years now." Fred picked Quinn up in his arms to kiss her, lifting her a few inches from the ground, but soon the other boys came along wanting Fred to play Quidditch. He couldn't resist the chance.

Quinn walked back to the house, lost in thought. It felt so nice to be back at the Burrow, though she felt a bit odd. Quinn looked back, leaning against a nearby tree, to watch the boys start their game. Fred and George were playing Chasers while Harry and Ron acted as Keepers. Quinn watched as Fred flew circles around George, who seemed at a loss without his Beater's bat.

She saw that Ron was watching her. She smiled at first, but bit her lip when she noticed the stern look on his face. She suddenly wondered what Ron's opinion of her visit to The Burrow was. He didn't trust her; Quinn knew that. Did he still honestly believe that she was somehow in league with the Death Eaters?

Quinn watched even after Ron had looked away. She hoped that sometime during the trip, she might win his trust. She turned back and walked through the garden to the house. She found Ginny and Hermione talking quietly in Ginny's room.

"Hey," Ginny said happily, motioning for Quinn to sit next to her. "Boys are playing Quidditch again?" she asked.

"Yes, do they ever stop?" Quinn asked slightly aggravated.

"No," Ginny laughed. "We were just going to do some studying. Hermione can help us prep for our O.W.L.s." Hermione nodded and the girls went to get their books. Quinn rummaged inside her bag for her Charms work. She pulled out the book and saw something small fall to the floor from her bag. She looked down and saw the calendar on the floor, a former student flexing his muscles on the cover.

"What is that?" Ginny asked with a giggly voice. Quinn blushed and tried to grab the calendar, but Ginny snatched it first. Hermione looked disdainful, but still, she looked. Quinn joined them, watching both the gorgeous pictures, and their reactions. All three girls recoiled at the sight of Professor Snape, flipping the page quickly. Hermione looked at Professor Lupin for quite a while. She seemed most affected by his small, shy smile but as Ginny began to tease her about it, she claimed to be fascinated by the book he was holding.

Everyone stopped at James' picture. Quinn watched Ginny, who was obviously reminded of Harry. She was happily grinning at the picture, her ears turning slightly pink. Hermione on the other hand was biting her lip and looking at the picture with both interest and sadness.

"I wonder what he was like," Hermione said solemnly, looking over the picture. "No one seems to know much about him, or they don't talk about it. Even Sirius and Professor Lupin, it's like they don't want to think about it." All three girls stared at the picture for another silent minute. Quinn felt a bit uncomfortable; she didn't know how to react to something so somber.

She decided to lighten the mood by turning to her favorite month, November. The other two girls gasped, their eyes widening at Sirius, who was sitting in the Prefect's bathtub. His black hair was dripping with moisture, spiking in odd directions and flattened in other areas. Bubbles were clinging to his golden skin and Ginny let out a pathetic sigh as they watched him.

Hermione seemed to be slowly turning red as she watched him. Sirius was grinning at the camera and trying to splash the photographer.

"God, I'd pay to be that photographer," Ginny said. Quinn tried to respond, but as she thought of the huge hug he had given her, she lost control of her throat and what came out was a strangled moan, resembling "Eurgh."

"He's coming to visit tomorrow, you know," Hermione said, still watching the picture out of the corner of her eyes.

"What?!" Quinn asked, fear in her voice. Coming here? To the Burrow? Quinn felt her heart begin to race. "Why?" Hermione and Ginny were both looking at her a bit oddly, surprised at her strange reaction. Hermione paused, her eyebrows crinkled to examine Quinn, who tried to look nonchalant.

"He wants to spend some time with Harry," she explained. "Actually, he wanted Harry to move in with him, but Dumbledore keeps sending him on missions now he's a free man." Hermione took a deep breath, signaling the start of a long rant. "Of course I really don't think he should be off doing such dangerous things, it sets a horrible example for Harry." Quinn only paid a bit of attention to Hermione. She was trying to determine whether she should wear her light blue robes or the crimson color. Mrs. Weasley called everyone to lunch, and Quinn numbly followed the girls downstairs, remembering her euphoric feeling as Sirius had hugged her.

* * *

The look in his eyes almost drove her mad as she stood there staring at him in disbelief. She had told him to leave and he did, but here he was, in the shower with her. She felt a brief pang of embarrassment at the thought of him looking at her body completely naked but the look on his face banished that thought as soon as it surfaced. Aislinn looked him over from head to toe. His platinum hair was dripping water in his face and he kept brushing it back with his hand. The beads of water clung to his muscles, defining them so perfectly that he appeared to be a sculpture instead of a living person. Aislinn got as far as his lightly toned torso complete with a lovely trail of blonde hair before he pulled her close and enveloped her in a kiss.

Aislinn felt as if she was floating as his tongue softly stroked her own. But the kiss deepened and it was soon so full of passion that Aislinn thought she would explode from it. She brought her hands up to his back and let them rest on the blades of his shoulders. His skin was milky white and smoother than anything she had ever touched. He was exquisite in every way. Draco broke the kiss and gave her a seductive smile that made her knees weaken so that she had to grasp the wall in order to stand. Draco smirked, and brought his head down to her neck like he had before. Instead of seeing Lucius this time, Aislinn only saw Draco. She took a deep breath, and at that moment, all her inhibitions faded away, and her body took control.

* * *

Quinn spent the night in a haze; she was completely distracted by the idea of seeing Sirius the next day. After dinner, she took a moment alone in Ginny's room to pull out the calendar and look at it again. Although Sirius was putting on quite a show, flexing his muscles, Quinn found herself transfixed by his eyes. There was something familiar and playful, sexy and intelligent about them that made her crazy. She couldn't look away from them.

Someone knocked on the door and Quinn shoved the calendar under her pillow just as Fred entered the room. She tried to look innocent as he smiled and came to sit down with her on the bed. Quinn smiled too, trying not to panic. As she looked into Fred's eyes, she noticed the same playful quality, which she found so sexy in Sirius' eyes. Quinn sighed happily and kissed Fred, softly. He seized the opportunity and lay her down on the bed, deepening the kiss. Quinn let out a contented sigh at the comforting weight of him on top of her, and the softness of his hands, which began to roam over her.

Fred took Quinn's two hands in one of his, reaching them over her head. Quinn smiled at him as he began to tickle her sides. He tickled her most sensitive spot, just below her ribcage, and she jerked her hands in an attempt to get free. She felt both of their hands hit the calendar. Quinn's eyes widened in alarm.

"What's this?" Fred asked, pulling the calendar from below the pillow. Quinn tried to grab it away, but Fred kept it firmly out of reach as he flipped through it. "Harboring a crush on men your parents' age? Really, Quinn, I'm hurt," he said, triumphant at having something to tease her about. Quinn reached one last time to snatch the calendar away but Fred jerked his hand and Quinn was sent tumbling to the floor.

She tried to untangle her robes from her legs and sit up, scowling at Fred as she did. He sat in complete shock, his face a mixture of disgust and confusion as he peered down at the calendar. Quinn got up quickly and saw what he was staring at; the month with Snape's picture. She almost laughed at the look on Fred's face.

"You, have a crush...on Snape?" Fred asked incredulously, looking up at her with horror written on his face. Quinn was about to smack him when she realized that she still needed to get the calendar back. Instead, she adopted a serious expression, trying to mimic the odd faces Aislinn usually wore when discussing Snape.

"Yes, alright, I have a crush on Snape," Quinn felt herself near nausea as she struggled to get these words out. "Now, can I have his picture back?" She reached for the calendar one last time.

"No," Fred said with a superior grin. "No, it's not Snape. I remember the way you looked at Bill that day over Christmas, when he turned into Snape. It definitely wasn't lust." He began to flip through the calendar again, looking for more pictures. He held Quinn away with one long arm as she struggled to get the calendar from him.

"Oh," Fred said finally, stopping again to examine a particular month. Quinn craned her neck and saw Professor Lupin smiling shyly at them. Quinn sighed, glad that Fred had yet to find Sirius' picture. She couldn't imagine how horrible it would be if Fred began teasing her when Sirius arrived the next day.

"Well, that makes sense," Fred said quietly. "So you have a secret lust for the brainy type." He smiled conspiratorially at her. "I can do that," he exclaimed. He tossed the calendar at her and sat at Ginny's desk, pulling out his wand. Quinn stowed the calendar safely away and came to stand near him. Fred picked up a large book and turned to face her. He had conjured a pair of glasses, which were perched precariously on the tip of his nose. He pretended to read the book, nodding and trying his best to look pensive. Quinn burst out laughing.

"Well, if I had a crush on Percy, then that would drive me mad with desire," she said through her laughs.

"Oh, that's just cruel. You're asking for it now, Finnigan," Fred said with mock anger. He threw the book back on Ginny's desk and tackled Quinn on the bed. He kissed her neck and collarbone, his hands eagerly roaming over her body and Quinn giggled at his ferocity.

"He's coming to visit tomorrow," Fred said quietly. "Should I be jealous or worried?" Quinn giggled at the sheer idiocy of this idea, though she was slightly alarmed to hear that Professor Lupin would be coming to visit as well. All this effort to avoid being teased about a crush on Sirius, just to ensure she would be teased about a crush on Professor Lupin.

"Well, you never should have bought me that Werewolves book," she said, trying to feign seriousness. "I desperately want Professor Lupin to-"

"Fly you on the forbidden wings of the night?" Fred finished for her and they both started to laugh. Quinn kissed Fred, glad that he hadn't found the picture of Sirius. She couldn't imagine the teasing he would give her if he knew about it. Actually, she didn't have to imagine it. She knew when Professor Lupin arrived the next day, she would find out first hand.

* * *

Aislinn felt her mind start to piece itself back together as she lay back against the pillows. She was still breathing heavily when he gathered her in his arms and held her close. Draco didn't speak as the two of them lay there. Aislinn glanced at the clock and noticed that it was now 9 am. She didn't want to leave now; she wanted to stay in this cozy, warm position all day. Draco must have seen the time as well as he kissed her neck lightly and then sat up. Aislinn watched him as he looked down at her. She couldn't read his expression at all, his face was completely blank.

"Well Macnair, you have managed to almost make us both late." Draco sneered as he walked over to where his clothes were and quickly put them on. Aislinn was in complete shock. What was going on here? He was acting as if nothing just happened. Draco turned around and looked at her. "Why do you look like I just sprouted another head? Did you not hear me? It is 9 o'clock. We are leaving in half an hour." Draco waited for her to respond, but she could only sit there staring at him incredulously. Surely she hadn't imagined what happened, it wasn't possible. Aislinn never thought that Draco could be this cold and unfeeling. "Well, are you going to get up or not?" Draco looked her over and a smirk came across his face as he headed toward her. Aislinn looked down and realized that she wasn't wearing anything. She reached for her towel, but Draco grabbed it before she could. He stood in front of her and stared down into her eyes. "Get up," he said coldly. "You need another shower before you go to London with my mother. I don't think she would appreciate introducing you to her friends with the smell of her son all over you." Draco grabbed her hand and led her into the bathroom. He turned on the tap and all but shoved her into the shower. Aislinn was still terribly confused at his behavior and stood there staring at him while the water ran over her.

"Did you forget how to bathe yourself, Macnair? Get on with it, I have to go and do the same. I'll be back to bring you to my mother in a bit." Draco turned to leave the room and Aislinn stared after him, still in disbelief.

Aislinn was in a daze as she took her second shower of the morning. Her entire body felt numb. Was this his idea of a joke? She was caught up in a storm of mixed emotions and didn't quite know how to react. Aislinn turned off the tap and stepped out of the shower, drying off as quickly as she could. She walked over to the wardrobe and took out the first thing she saw. Aislinn was still trying to make sense of it all; was he just testing her? Playing some sick mind game? No, it couldn't have been just a game, could it? Aislinn put on her clothes; a pale blue shirt, black skirt and shoes. She slipped on a set of matching pale blue robes over the clothes and sat down at the vanity. Aislinn stared at herself in the mirror. "You fool," Aislinn told herself. Earlier that morning, Draco had made her admit how she really felt for him, deep inside, and he had admitted nothing. She hadn't been herself and she had told him that she wanted him; that she always had. He hadn't confessed anything, if there was anything to confess at all. Aislinn wondered if Mrs. Malfoy had ever experienced the same thing. She decided that she would have a talk with Narcissa today, see what she could find out about Veela. Hopefully there was some way to block their power, or at least resist it somewhat. Aislinn dried her hair quickly with a charm and fastened her jewelry. She used a small bit of the lip gloss that Quinn had given her and took one last glance in the mirror.

"Lovely dear, although you look a bit down," the mirror said softly at her reflection. Aislinn closed her eyes, drew a deep breath and opened the door to find her way to the drawing room.

Draco was leaning against the wall across from her door, and Aislinn jumped a bit when she saw him. His expression was blank as he stared at her and Aislinn felt as if a ton of bricks had landed on her heart. She bit her bottom lip to control its quivering and looked away from him but didn't move. "Why?" she asked quietly and chanced a glance at him.

Draco's expression softened slightly and he furrowed his brow. "Come on, my mother is waiting for you," he said and grabbed her hand to lead her down the hall. Aislinn didn't try to remove it from his grip; she walked silently next to him through the halls, hoping he would answer her eventually. The drawing room door was open when they arrived and Aislinn saw Narcissa sitting inside, reading a magazine with her legs crossed elegantly at the ankle. Narcissa looked up from her magazine and smiled broadly. Aislinn felt Draco squeeze her hand but before she could look at him, he was walking out of the door.

"You look lovely, dear," Narcissa said as she stood up from her chair.

"As do you, Mrs. Malfoy," Aislinn replied. It was true, Narcissa looked beautiful, and to Aislinn's surprise, she was dressed in a Muggle dress and heels.

"Call me Narcissa, please. We are going to be family after all." Narcissa smiled and grabbed her robes that were draped across the chair. Aislinn tried to smile but the thought horrified her again. Family, she would be a Malfoy one day. She would be related to Lucius Malfoy. She would be married to the person who had brutally rejected her that morning, who didn't give a damn about her feelings at all. It was too much to think about. "We shall begin our day in Diagon Alley, and then I thought we could visit some of the higher end Muggle shops. Lucius doesn't approve of my shopping there but I do it anyhow. I don't share his prejudices," she added with a sly smile. "Let's go then, I have the Portkey somewhere around here. Ah, here it is. It has been set for voice activation and will lead us straight to Diagon Alley."

Aislinn grabbed the glass bottle and Narcissa said, "Activate." They landed in the middle of a gorgeous store that Aislinn had always loved. Her mother brought her here often, but the experience was entirely different with Narcissa Malfoy. At once, several attendants came rushing to their side with tea and pastries.

"How may we help you, Mrs. Malfoy?"

"You look ravishing, Mrs. Malfoy."

"May I take your cloak, Mrs. Malfoy?" A crew of sales personnel began speaking at once. Narcissa winked at Aislinn and gracefully removed her cloak. She took the tea and sipped it carefully, gazing around the store. Aislinn stood back in awe as Narcissa would point at a cloth and a style and a sales witch would perform a spell and the dress would appear in Mrs. Malfoy's size. This continued for nearly twenty minutes when Narcissa turned to Aislinn.

"Your turn darling, anything you like is yours." Narcissa smiled.

"Oh, no Mrs. Malfoy..." Aislinn began.

"Narcissa, dear," Narcissa said smiling brilliantly.

"Er, Narcissa, I couldn't let you do this for me," Aislinn protested.

"I insist Aislinn. This is something you will get used to; I know it seems a bit intimidating at first. I remember the first time I went shopping with Lucius' mother-by the way, she will be arriving at the manor in a few days. She is most anxious to meet you." Narcissa shuddered lightly and then regained her composure. "Anyhow, I recall leaving the shops with no less than two thousand galleons worth of new robes and accessories. I insist you do the same Aislinn. It is a tradition upon entering into this family."

Aislinn smiled weakly. She was a jumble of mixed emotions. On one hand, she wanted to yell at the top of her voice that she didn't want to be part of this family, that the thought sent a chill or horror to her soul; on the other, she longed to feel how she had felt earlier that day, prior to being rejected that is. One thing she knew for certain: this was too good an opportunity to pass up. She was a Slytherin after all, and she knew when to use a situation to her advantage.

"Well, that fabric looks nice," Aislinn said quietly, pointing at a shimmery crimson sample. Immediately, dozens of store clerks were at her side. One with a glass of pumpkin juice, one showing her various robe styles, one measuring her and so on. A girl could get used to this, Aislinn thought to herself and smiled, temporarily forgetting what accepting all this would mean.

An hour or so later, Aislinn and Narcissa left the shop, and headed for a lunch date with a few of Mrs. Malfoy's friends. Aislinn sighed inwardly as they walked through the crowded street of Diagon Alley. She was nervous about meeting Narcissa's friends, and even more anxious about how Mrs. Malfoy would introduce her. They made their way into a very posh looking café and Narcissa gestured over to a table where three witches were chatting animatedly. Upon seeing Narcissa, the three witches stood up and made various exclamations over Mrs. Malfoy. Aislinn stood awkwardly to the side as the women embraced and exchanged greetings.

"Ladies, this is Aislinn Macnair. Aislinn, these are three of my dearest friends: Eleanor Davies, Abigail Baddock and Cecilia Parkinson," Narcissa said, smiling brilliantly.

Aislinn smiled at them all and noticed a slight sneer on Cecilia Parkinson's lips. Although this woman's hair was dark, there was no mistaking the terrible upturned nose and small, cruel mouth.

"Aislinn Macnair, I have heard so much about you from both of my sons. I understand that you are friends with Nathanial's girlfriend as well," Mrs. Baddock said with a warm smile.

"Yes," Aislinn replied. "Marianne and I are good friends." Mrs. Baddock didn't look much like either of her sons, be she seemed like a very nice witch. Perhaps Nathanial and Malcolm had gotten her personality.

Aislinn then turned her attention to Mrs. Davies. She had to be Roger and Alyssa's mother. How funny, Aislinn thought, that Alyssa and Nathanial's mothers were such good friends. Aislinn briefly wondered if Marianne knew. Mrs. Davies smiled at Aislinn but said nothing. The group took their seats at an outdoor table and the four older women began talking at once. They began gossiping about someone she had never heard of, so Aislinn let her mind roam. Aislinn wondered what Quinn was doing, if she was having fun being paraded around town with her mother. Aislinn snickered to herself and let her eyes travel over her table mates. Never in a million years would she have imagined she would be sitting in a café with Narcissa Malfoy, engaged to her son.

Engaged, she thought, how could she be engaged? She hadn't even accepted, hell, she hadn't even been proposed to. But there it was, and here she was, her future decided for her. Aislinn couldn't say exactly how she felt. She had been completely against it upon first mention; but now, after today, even after she had been so blatantly rejected, humiliated, whatever it should be named, Aislinn felt a small rush at the thought. Perhaps it had only been the Veela influence on her. No, that wasn't right. Aislinn had felt it, yes, but not very potently. It was Draco, only Draco himself that had brought out the reaction in her. Aislinn hadn't known how strong her feelings had been. The mixture of hate, fear, curiosity, lust and ultimately something else had been the complete eradication of her better judgment. It had apparently been nothing more than a game to Draco, another way to play with her mind. The thought of how he treated her threatened to bring tears t her eyes. Aislinn was still confused about his behavior though. She was about to attempt to analyze her feelings for lack of anything better to do, when she heard her name spoken.

"It has been decided that dear Aislinn here will be the newest member of the Malfoy family, when the proper time comes of course," Narcissa announced to her friends, positively beaming at Aislinn.

"Congratulations dear," Mrs. Baddock cried, grasping Aislinn's hand firmly.

"Yes Aislinn, it is wonderful news indeed. I insist on throwing you an engagement party soon, this summer perhaps?" Mrs. Davies joined in, patting Aislinn's arm.

"Thank you, but I..." Aislinn began to protest, but her voice wavered as she looked at Mrs. Parkinson. The dark haired woman's eyes were narrowed with spite and glinting maliciously. Aislinn continued to stare at the witch, not sure how to proceed.

"Congratulations indeed," Mrs. Parkinson spat at her as she sat back in her chair crossing her legs.

Like mother, like daughter. Aislinn wondered if this woman had shamelessly thrown herself at Lucius as Pansy did Draco on a regular basis. Aislinn grinned at the thought and sipped her tea.

* * *

The next morning, Quinn woke early and felt her nerves take over immediately. She tried to rationalize with herself; Sirius was in his thirties, he was twice her age. She had a boyfriend that she loved, and she knew nothing would ever happen to change that. It was just a stupid crush; at least that's what she tried to tell herself.

She convinced herself that she wanted to look nice for Fred when she spent an extra thirty minutes getting ready before breakfast. Who was she kidding? Fred never noticed what she wore or how she looked; only if she was in a good or bad mood.

She walked downstairs with Hermione and nearly tripped when she saw Sirius. He was relaxing on the couch, his entire body gracefully draped against the armrest. He was laughing at something, a loud and boisterous laugh. His eyes were bright and Quinn felt suddenly weak.

"Curly Q!" Fred said, leaping to his feet and walking over to her. Quinn nearly gagged at the nickname. She felt nervous as she saw his happy smirk. He put his arm around her and led her over to the sofa, sitting her down between himself and Sirius. She felt as if her body had been transfigured into Jell-O.

"Curly Q, I was just telling Sirius here about you fancying Remus," Fred looked at her with unmistakable pride. She panicked as the world seemed to turn inside out around her. Sirius laughed again and Quinn turned beet red.

"Don't worry about it, Quinn," Sirius said in what he must have thought was a comforting manner. He leaned closer to Quinn, sending her into a state of near shock. "You know, when we were in school, Remus had a bit of a thing for Professor McGonagall. He never admitted it of course, but I knew the truth." Sirius waited for her to laugh but Quinn was too nervous to even blink. He leaned closer and spoke again in a whispering growl of a voice.

"I won't tell him," Sirius said, giving her a conspiratorial wink. Quinn was mere inches from him as he did this and she felt her heart stop. She nearly fell out of her chair.

Whether or not Sirius could keep the secret proved insignificant. They were seated at the breakfast table for no more than five minutes when Fred announced to Professor Lupin-and everyone else- that Quinn fancied him. Quinn looked at her boyfriend with absolute horror and felt her entire face go red. Before she buried her face in her hands, she caught site of Sirius' smirk and Professor Lupin's embarrassed smile. Quinn marveled at her extraordinarily bad taste in men.

"Oh, uh," Professor Lupin stuttered a bit. "Well, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, really," he said, clearly trying to be diplomatic.

"Yeah, no reason to be ashamed," Sirius interjected. "Moony, tell them about your thing for ole Minnie in school," he said, looking expectantly at Professor Lupin.

"Ole Minnie? Sirius you are delusional," Professor Lupin responded with irritation in his voice. "How many times have I had to tell you that I never fancied her? Minerva McGonagall is more than twice my age! That's just sick!" Quinn, who had been peaking over her folded arms, turned red once again and buried her face back in her hands. Professor Lupin seemed to realize what he'd said and there was an awkward silence.

"Fred, who taught you to treat a girl so nice anyway?" Sirius asked, noting Quinn's less than happy reaction. Fred shrugged.

"Honestly, Fred! First of all, there's nothing wrong with...well anyone could develop a slight infatuation for a teacher, especially one as nice and intelligent as Professor Lupin," Hermione jumped in, talking very quickly as if to hide the real content of her words. She took a quick breath and jumped back in. "Secondly, as her boyfriend shouldn't you be a bit more trustworthy with her feelings? I mean look at her!" Hermione gestured toward Quinn who was still hiding her red face. Fred peered over at her.

"Hermione," he began, with the air of talking to a small child. "Anyone that dates me knows how to take a joke." Hermione huffed slightly but Fred ignored it. He merely pulled Quinn's hands away from her face. "I merely wanted to point out to Professor Lupin that despite his extended education I will not let him steal my girlfriend without a fight." Quinn watched as Professor Lupin began to turn slightly red now and she felt her stomach flip around more than during a Portkey trip.

"I suggest a duel to the death!" George said vehemently, making a slashing movement with his butter knife. Sirius nodded in agreement. Hermione tutted even louder and looked ready to interject.

"Boys, please. Sirius, act like an adult for once," Professor Lupin said, looking quite tired of the conversation. "Quinn, I'm flattered, and Hermione is exactly right. There's nothing unnatural about those sorts of...feelings. Of course, you've got Fred, who is clearly... Professor Lupin paused, apparently searching for a word to describe him. Fred sat up tall and proudly, clearly anticipating praise. "Entertaining," Professor Lupin said finally. "Although I can understand if you ever want to get rid of him. I have often thought that having a friend like Sirius was one of my biggest mistakes in life," Lupin said, smiling a bit. Quinn watched Sirius, who tried his best to look mortally offended and smacked Professor Lupin lightly.

The rest of the breakfast was decidedly uncomfortable for Quinn. She spent most of it avoiding the gaze of Professor Lupin and Sirius. Fred kept trying to be overly affectionate and only the presence of the adults kept her from wrestling him to the ground. She stared at her plate for a great portion of the meal.

As they left the table, Sirius pulled Quinn away into the corner. Her eyes widened and her entire body trembled at the gentle pressure he put on her arm. She backed against the wall, trying to avoid throwing herself at him, and he leaned close to her. Quinn stared at his perfect lips, curled slightly into a smile. She shook her head, trying to focus.

"Quinn, you know, you really shouldn't feel bad. Remus is still very young- he's my age after all." Sirius seemed serious, but Quinn couldn't be entirely sure. He was looking very solemnly at her, but his eyes still twinkled. "No matter what he says, he did fancy McGonagall. Perhaps if you wear your hair up in a bun, that might-" Quinn turned bright red again and walked quickly over to sit at the chess table, away from the rest of the family. The last thing she wanted was to walk away from Sirius- he smelled amazing- but she couldn't take one more second of this.

"Hi," said a voice from the other side of the table. Quinn looked up, surprised, at Harry. She hadn't even noticed him sitting there.

"I'm sorry, were you playing?" Quinn started to stand up but Harry motioned for her to keep her seat. "I was a bit preoccupied with dying of embarrassment," she admitted.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty sorry of Fred. Don't worry though, Professor Lupin is a nice guy; he won't give you a hard time." Harry looked over at Professor Lupin and smiled. His gaze traveled across the room to his godfather. Quinn saw his smile grow even wider. "Now, Sirius on the other hand, is the one you have to watch out for."

Quinn snorted in reply. The more she got to know Sirius the more he reminded her of Fred. That made him even more appealing, but at the same time just as infuriating. She looked at Harry with a bit of a smile, glad to see he seemed more comfortable around her than during the previous day.

"I noticed," she responded. "Still, must be a fun godfather to have." Harry nodded vehemently, watching Sirius as he began teasing Professor Lupin once again. Quinn distinctly heard the word Minnie a few times. She sighed, looking back at Fred, who was walking her way. He was smirking, a victorious bounce in his stride. Try as she did, she couldn't stay mad at him. When he reached her and put out his hand, she took it and followed him from the room.

* * *

They arrived back at the Manor late that evening. Aislinn and Narcissa had entered nearly every shop in Diagon Alley and eventually made their way into Muggle London. Aislinn had never had so much fun shopping and she had grown to feel completely at ease with Narcissa. Aislinn had wanted to ask her what it was like being married to a half-Veela but she had decided against it, not wanting to taint the happy mood.

Aislinn entered the foyer with a grin as the elves rushed to unload the ungodly amount of packages. She removed her cloak and handed it to one of the elves who swiftly ran off to put it in its place. She and Narcissa talked about their day as they walked into the drawing room. Aislinn entered after Narcissa and her eyes immediately met the placid gaze of Draco's.

He was lounging in a particularly large chair, his expression completely blank, as usual. Draco stared blankly at her for so long that Aislinn became uncomfortable under his gaze, but didn't dare turn away. To do so would admit defeat.

"Draco darling, how was your day?" Narcissa asked him in a sing song voice, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Informative, mother. Yours?" he replied, still staring at Aislinn.

"Oh, it was marvelous; you should have come with us. Gerard had gotten the most glorious new fabrics in. You would have loved them dear." Narcissa sighed. "Anyhow, I suppose I shall go and find your father, have you seen him love?"

"Library," Draco replied curtly.

"Of course, well good night darlings. Don't stay up too late," Narcissa called over her shoulder as she exited the room.

Aislinn stared at the empty doorway where Narcissa had been moments before. She didn't want to turn around and face Draco. She was nervous about what he might say.

"Sit," he said.

"What?" said Aislinn, turning around to look at him.

"I told you to sit," Draco replied, a cruel smile breaking across his lips.

"Since when do I take orders from you?" Aislinn sneered, but she found herself sitting anyway.

"Since I decided you would," he replied. "I expect my possessions to do as I say."

"Your possessions? When did I become a possession of yours?" Aislinn asked incredulously.

"Macnair, what a poor memory you have. Have you forgotten our arrangement already? Or, perhaps you have forgotten what you told me this morning. What was it you said?" Draco tapped his chin lightly in mock thought.

"Yes, I remember Draco," she said before he had a chance to humiliate her. "That still doesn't give you the right to order me around like a house elf." Aislinn stood up and crossed her arms defiantly. Draco smirked and glanced at the door.

"I trust you had a good time with my mother today. How did you like her friends?" he asked, this time with a little less contempt in his voice.

"Yes, I had a great time with your mum, she is wonderful," Aislinn said. "Her friends are really nice, too. Although I don't think Mrs. Parkinson cares for me too much."

Draco rolled his eyes. "No, I imagine she didn't. She has been the one pushing Pansy to go after me for years. Cecilia would do almost anything to have her only child become a Malfoy. Pansy only started acting the way she does because her mother threatened her if she didn't."

"If you know she doesn't really mean any of it, then why do you let her carry on? It's obvious to everyone that you don't want her," Aislinn said, sitting down again.

Draco's smirk broadened as he watched her sit. "I never said that she didn't mean it, I only said she started under her mothers influence. I'm sure it seems that I don't want her, which I don't, but I have given Parkinson enough over the past five years to keep her wanting more. She couldn't help but fall in love with me." He gave her a knowing look.

"Draco, I'm not in love with you, if that is what you are getting at," Aislinn said, standing up once more. "And this isn't going to happen."

Draco got up now and stood directly in front of her, looking down into her eyes. "It is and if you're not yet, you will be soon. Besides, there are more important things in a marriage than love."

"What is more important in a marriage than love?" Aislinn asked. She became suddenly aware of what she was talking about and who she was talking about it with.

"Loyalty, obedience," he said while closing the gap in between them. He looked at her and his eyes clouded. Draco put his hand on her waist and pulled her closer. Aislinn's heart began increasing its pace. No, not again.

"Good night, Draco," she said. Aislinn gathered all her resolve and removed his hand from her waist. Draco narrowed his eyes at her but didn't say anything. Aislinn didn't move though; she stood there, staring into his eyes, wondering what life would be like married to him. The only thing that could come to mind was Lucius Malfoy. Draco had told her many times that he wasn't like his father, but how could she believe him when he talked of loyalty and obedience. Draco was very much like his father in that regard, and very much a Malfoy. Aislinn had to speak to Narcissa.

Aislinn didn't sleep well at all that night. She dreamt of herself in the future, older, surrounded by three blonde children. They were smiling, and playing together.

Suddenly, they were all lying on the floor, screaming and Draco was sitting smugly in a chair across the room, merely watching with a horrible gleam in his eyes. All she could do was stare down at their tear stained faces and watch them calling out "Mummy" in half choked sobs as they clawed at themselves. She heard a booming laugh echo around the room.

Draco had stood up from the chair, coming toward her when she woke suddenly as he had touched her arm in the dream. Aislinn realized that she was tangled in her sheets, her pillow damp from her tears. She sat up and gazed out the window; it was still dark, although the sun would be coming up at any moment. Aislinn laid her head back on her pillow and rubbed her eyes. It had only been a dream, but she couldn't help feeling that somehow she would lose control of herself completely if she went through with this. She remembered when he had told her that he was anxious to be able to control his powers. Was this the sort of control he longed for? To use the control he had to break her? Draco was a sordid bastard; she wouldn't put this sort of behavior past him. Aislinn stared at the ceiling above her bed for a bit, thinking about the dream and slowly drifted back to sleep.

After what seemed like only minutes, Aislinn woke again. This time there was bright sunlight streaming through the window, pooling on the floor next to the bed. She had slept with the bed curtains open and the brightness of the early morning sun had woken her out of a thankfully dreamless sleep. She looked out the window and then rolled over to look at the clock. Instead of the clock however, she was confronted with a sleeping form. Draco was laying with his back toward her, nearly on the edge of the bed curled on his side. Aislinn was confused as to when and how he got there in the first place. She had woken not long ago from that horrible dream and she was positive she had been alone. Aislinn watched the rise and fall of his breath and fell back into her dreams.