The Shotgun Bride

Chapter Ten: Wonderful.

***

"Well?" Jo tapped one heeled foot against the cracked linoleum of the kitchen floor.

"You see, Mamaw," Ginny began, "We're... engaged." The last word came out as a squeak.

Jo looked at the boy sitting at the table. He lowered the pork chop from his eye, and sighed. He looked completely prepared to get a thorough tongue-lashing, but Jo wasn't about to do that. No, sirree, she had a better plan.

"That's marvelous!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "You two do look wonderful together!"

Molly, Draco, and Ginny all just looked at one another. Draco didn't know the entire depth of Jo's hatred of his family, but he knew that grudges between the families traditionally ran deep. He also knew from the way Ginny had stiffened up as soon as her grandmother had entered the kitchen that 'that's marvelous' was the last thing that she had expected to hear. Jo, in the meantime, pulled a glass out of a cabinet and filled it with ice.

"Momma, have you forgotten to take some medicine?" Molly asked, looking suspicious.

"Molly, dear, you know very well that I am as healthy as a horse, and plan on staying that way for many years to come, as much as that just kills you. Now, what's my future grandson-in-law's name?" Jo looked in the fridge, and pulled out a pitcher of sweet tea. She poured herself a glass, then stuck the pitcher back in the fridge. Ginny looked at the glass of tea enviously, but didn't dare to say a word. Long moments passed.

"His name's Draco," Ginny finally said, upon the realization that no one else seemed to be willing to pony up his name.

"That's a silly name. Were your parents on drugs?" Jo asked. "Lots of strangely named kids have parents on drugs. Look at that poor Longbottom kid. What kind of parents name their kid Neville? I know they were on the wacky tobaccy."

"Momma!" snapped Molly. "You know what happened to them- that wasn't a very nice thing to say!"

"Just because some kids can't hold their liquor doesn't mean I have to coddle them, Molly. Being a vegetable ain't no excuse for naming your kid something that awful. And you never answered my question, boy."

"My parents weren't on drugs when they named me," replied Draco, looking very much like he had just found himself in the Twilight Zone. People didn't talk about his family like that. People respected the Malfoys- or at the very least feared them. Their image and reputation had been carefully cultivated over the years, and here was a woman just blasting through it like she was somebody.

"I'm sure," replied Jo.

"Mamaw, was there something you were wanting?" Ginny asked, hoping to avoid a confrontation. She recognized the slightly affronted look on Draco's face- it was the same look he'd gotten when Justin Finch-Fletchley had implied that his car was faster than Draco's. She was still very glad that Justin's Camaro had thrown that rod, and he had therefore been unable to finish the race. She didn't want to know what Draco would have done if he had lost.

"Yes, dear, I'm a little curious as to the sudden engagement," Jo replied. "I've never even seen this boy before, and now suddenly he's going to be marrying my only granddaughter. I think that's slightly suspicious."

Ginny flushed, ans replied, "There ain't nothing suspicious about it."

"Of course there is, child. When's it due?"

Ginny looked very much like she wanted to hit her grandmother, but refrained. It wasn't polite to abuse your elders, even when they were being positively evil. "January."

"Wonderful! A new year's baby. Try to have it on the first, they give lots of free stuff to the first baby of the year," replied Jo, smiling. "Though, back in my day, there wasn't any of this fancy-pancy free stuff given all over the place just because a girl popped out a kid at the right time of the year. Well. When are you two getting hitched? Surely before Ginny starts to show- nothing tackier than an obviously shotgun wedding."

"Momma, why did you stop by?" Molly asked. She was remembering very clearly the exact reason she had been so happy to be moving out of her mother's home.

"I need to go to the junk yard, and I thought that one of your boys might accompany me, so that I don't get ripped off. You know how those mechanics love to overcharge ladies like myself."

"Oh, I'm sure that Ron would be more than happy to go with you," Molly said. Ginny held back a snort that was threatening to escape. Her mother could be so very cruel with her punishments, when she so wished. Ron would get it for the Malfoy Smackdown, oh yes, he would.

"Lovely!" cried Jo. "I'll go get him, and we'll talk more when we get back."

"Wonderful," Molly said with a forced smile.

Jo turned, and left the kitchen. A few moments later, her voice could be heard outside. "Ron! Ronnie, dear, where are you? RON?"

A thunk.

"Ron, did you just hit your head on that nasty old car hood? Poor child. Come here and Mamaw'll kiss it better."

Draco snorted, then winced as sudden pain reminded him of one of Charlie's well-aimed punches.

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked him.

"Peachy keen," replied Draco, scowling.

"Poor dear," Molly said. She took the empty plate from in front of him, and dumped it in the sink. "Can I get you anything?"

"Nah, I'm fine. That was really good, though," he replied. "I should probably get going."

"Will you be back by tomorrow? I'm planning on having a barbecue for dinner," Molly said.

"That sounds good," replied Draco.

"I'll walk you out," Ginny said.

"Bye," Draco called to Molly as he left the kitchen.

They passed through the living room without incident, as Arthur was deeply engrossed in the episode of Cops that was on the air. Ginny peered out the screen door, and whispered back to Draco, "I think the coast is clear."

They slipped out of the house, and walked across the gravel to Draco's car. "Bye, sweet," Ginny said, standing on her tip-toes to kiss Draco firmly on the lips.

The sound of metal hitting metal interrupted their first alone time since the whole ordeal had begun.

"What?" snapped Draco, looking over to the origin of the sound.

"Nothing," said Fred. He stood a little ways away, holding the tire jack he had just hit against the tin wall of the shed.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked.

"Er, nothing, nothing. I just wanted to, you know, make sure there weren't any critters in the shed," Fred said, banging the tire jack against the shed once again.

Ginny gave him a weird look, then asked, "Where's George?"

"Er, George?" Fred asked. A furtive glance was shot in the direction of Draco's car.

"Yes, George, you know- your twin, who is normally attached to you at the hip?" Ginny snapped.

"Oh! That George!" Fred exclaimed. "I thought you were talking about some other George. I don't know where George is."

Draco looked at Fred suspiciously, then headed towards the driver's side door of his car. "I've got to go. See you tomorrow, Gin."

"Bye," Ginny replied.

Draco reached the other side of his car, and stopped short. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Er," came George's voice.

"Don't confess! Say it wasn't you!" Fred exclaimed.

"What did you do?" growled Draco, who looked like he was very, very close to losing his patience.

George stood up, and dusted off his pants. "I think that's a very suspicious attitude you have, there, buddy boy. Really, accusing me of doing something, when I was obviously only..." He trailed off.

"Obviously only what?" said Ginny from the other side of the car.

"Uh," George said.

"He was just checking the air in the tires on that deathtrap," Fred announced.

"Really?" said Ginny. "He was checking the air?"

"Yeah," said George.

Draco opened his mouth to say, "Yeah, right," when Ginny interrupted him.

"How sweet!"

Draco watched in shock as Ginny launched herself around the car, and enveloped George in a huge hug. "That's the sweetest thing you've done all day! I mean, trying to make up for nearly killing my boyfriend by checking up on his tires!" Ginny pulled away, and wiped away a tear that had fallen from one eye. "I'm so lucky to have you as my brother!"

George managed to say, "Um," before Ginny started again.

"I can't believe I was suspicious of you doing something bad to Draco's car! I mean, you love me too much to want to do something like that to me."

"Fine! Fine! We were gonna mess with the car!" George said, throwing his hands into the air. "Evil woman."

"Did you get anything done to the car?" Ginny asked.

"No, you came out too soon. Plus, we had to take time out of planning to make fun of Ron, and laugh at him mercilessly."

"Good," Ginny said.

"Bye, Draco," she said, giving him a kiss. She chose to ignore the gagging sounds her brothers made.

"Bye," Draco said as he finally managed to escape.