Arranged Marriages Are Good....

Prologue...

The swishing of the windshield wipers on the blue Ford gave the baby in the rear, Harry Potter, something to fall asleep to. His mother, driving the car, stole a glance at him as she waited at a red light. He looked so calm, so peaceful, as he slept. He was so sweet it nearly named her cry. She wondered, yet again if she and James were doing the right thing. Maybe he should make his own choices...she did and she turned out fine. She was so deep in thought that nothing but the loud angry horn from the car behind her brought her out of her reverie.

She drove foreword again, glancing down at the clock as she did so. "Bloody hell!" she whispered, realizing she was already late. She broke the speed limit all the way to The Burrow, coming to a screeching halt as she braked in front of her destination. She slammed the door a little harder than she meant to, waking Harry, who wailed. She hurried out to get him out of the car, shivering in the cool drizzle. Despite the fact it was summer, it was cool for June. She sheltered Harry with her body, not wanting him to get a cold as the waited for Molly Weasley to open the door.

"Lily! Dear, come right in." Molly beamed as she opened the door. "Oh, is this little Harry? He's absolutely adorable! He has your eyes, but everything else is James's!"

It was true. Harry may have had Lily's sparkling emerald eyes, but he had James's messy black hair and facial features. He had calmed down a bit and gurgled a bit at Molly.

"Speaking of James...is he coming today?" Molly asked.

Lily shook her head. "No, he has 'Auror business.'"

"I know what you mean. With this war, Arthur's gone before I wake and comes home long after I go to bed. I haven't seen him in a week."

Lily nodded, looking worried, probably for James.

"So, then, let's get down to business..." Molly suggested.

~*~

Two days later, Narcissa Malfoy awoke with a bright smile on her pretty face. Today was the day she was picking a suitable wife for her baby boy. It has only taken him a year to get a wife too. She was nearly three when her parents found the Malfoy. Disgraceful!

The Parkinsons were a well-liked and respectable Pureblood family in the Slytherin circles. They were rich, and had the right ideas about the war. Their daughter was a mere two months younger than Draco. They would be the perfect couple.

"Dobby!" she called. "I'm awake; you may bring my breakfast up now. And don't choose Draco's clothes today! I'll pick them myself!"

Moments later, the brown house-elf appeared at the foot of Narcissa's bed. "Your breakfast?"

She accepted it, eating almost all of it. She took a quick bath (only an hour) and chose her best outfit- green dress robes and sliver accessories, in true Slytherin style. She went to pick Draco's outfit for him, grey baby robes that brought out his eyes, and combed back his platinum blond hair. She had Dobbie carry him to the drawing room and arranged him on a blanket on the floor, playing with some toys. Evil ones, of course.

A few minutes later, Byron, the butler, came into the drawing room and announced, "Mr. and Mrs. Peter Parkinson have arrived."

Narcissa quickly got up to kiss Patricia on each cheek, and say hello to Peter.

~*~

13 years later...

Draco Malfoy stared at the letter he held in his hands in disgust. He had known this was coming for a long time, but that changed nothing.

Dear Son:

It has come to my attention that there is a Ball at your school this year. You shall ask the Parkinson girl to it, as you will one day be married to her. Your dress robes were packed in your trunk this year. You can not wear other ones, even if you so choose.

Father

He had expected at least some semblance of a normal bachelor life before "settling down with his one true love." But even that had to be taken away the first time a public date reared its ugly head. Not that he was going to refuse to go with her. Draco Malfoy may have been a lot of things, but he certainly wasn't a fool.

With a heavy sigh, he made his way down to the common room, where he expected Pansy to be. She was, and he made his way over to her. "Can I speak to you in private?" he asked. Her friends giggled in their foolish way, but Pansy, who spied the letter in his hands, had a feeling she knew what it was about. She followed him without a word.

"So. We're going together," she said.

"Yeah. Better look happy, keep up appearances," Draco suggested.

Pansy nodded and stretched her lips into a big smile. To Draco's shock and disgust, she grabbed him in a hug and whispered in his ear "Good enough?" He nodded, and she released him.

Oh bugger. Draco's life had taken a significant turn for the worse.

~*~

Three Years and Six Months Later

Harry Potter had been called into the office Barnaby Higglesworth, Wizarding Lawyer regarding his parents will for after his graduation from Hogwarts. Some of the provisions were impossible (Visit Sirius as often as possible) and some he was only too happy to do (Visit Dumbledore and the rest of the Order members as often as possible). The last on though, was a shock that frankly terrified him.

"'Finally, upon her eighteenth birthday, you shall marry Virginia Ann Weasley,'" Mr. Higglesworth read out.

"What?!" Harry yelled. "I'm getting married?"

"Yes, to the youngest Weasley girl. Fine family, they are, a fine family," Mr. Higglesworth answered.

"When is the wedding?" Harry asked.

"Let's see, her birthday is the June 19, but you won't get married until the day after, so you have until the twentieth of next June to be a bachelor."

~*~

Two Months Later

"Do you, Draco Julius Malfoy, take Pansy Cynthia Parkinson to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

No. "I do."

"And, do you, Pansy Cynthia Parkinson, take Draco Julius Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband.

Not if my life depended on it. "I do."

"By the powers vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you Man and Wife. You may kiss the bride."

Do I have to? Draco leaned forward and forced a kiss onto Pansy's cheek. A short while later, during the reception, Draco and Pansy were forced to sit down with their parents.

"Now, about heirs..."

Oh, God, not heirs, please not that. Despite the fact they both knew this was the purpose of the arrangement, Draco and Pansy had forcefully pushed that thought out of their minds.

~*~

Eight Months Intothe Future

I am not getting married. I am being a... brother. Yes, that's it. I'm her brother.

This is not a relationship, it's a marriage. It's not love; it's a partner to split the bills with.

"Do you, Harry James Potter, take Virginia Ann Weasley to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

Sister. "I do."

"And do you, Virginia Ann Weasley, take Harry James Potter to be you lawfully wedded husband?"

Partner. "I do."

"Then, by the powers vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride."

Harry kissed Ginny the way he would a sister (if he had one).