Ginny refused to cry until she was safely under the noisy spray of the shower. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd reduced her to tears. Curling up on the marble bench in the shower, she sobbed out her rage and hurt. She always felt so violated after he visited. To know that when he invaded her bed, he'd come straight from her bed was humiliating and disgusting. The only good point was the fact that he was fastidious about cleanliness so he always showered before changing bedpartners.

Even so, she always felt so dirty when he did that. It wasn't fair. This wasn't supposed to happen. After she composed herself, she quickly washed up and left the shower. Waiting for her on the bathroom counter was a tray that contained a small jar of bruise paste, a vial of mild pain potion, and a vial of any anti-inflammatory potion. She had to smile at the devotion of her house-elf, Lia.

Thankfully, she downed the potions and carefully applied the bruise paste to her face. The bruises on her arms would be covered by her clothes so she didn't bother with them.

She slipped on her silk dressing gown and headed into her large, well-appointed dressing room. Lia had already laid out a set of beautifully embroidered greenish-blue robes. Ginny dressed and sat down at her vanity, she carefully applied her makeup to hide the bruising until the bruise paste had a chance to work. It was frustrating to know that her brothers sold an excellent bruise paste, but of course she was not allowed to frequent her brothers' shop. She thought her husband deliberately provided substandard bruise paste so she would stay bruised longer.

After her makeup was done, she carefully styled her hair and put in her diamond earrings. She hated them, but they matched her engagement and wedding bands and he insisted that she wear them. Once she was certain her appearance in no way betrayed her emotional turmoil, she left the dressing room and hurried up to the nursery.

The sight of her children caused her to smile for the first time that day. Perseus and Orion were already eating their breakfast. Mimi, the nursery elf, was overseeing Titania's bath.

"Good morning, Mistress," Mimi said as she caught sight of Ginny.

"Good morning, Mimi," Ginny replied. "I need the children dressed in their best."

"Is father here?" Perseus asked softly.

"Yes, darling," Ginny said as she knelt next to the small table where her sons were sitting. "I don't know if he will wish to see you, but if he does, don't forget the rules."

Perseus and Orion nodded solemnly. "No laughing, stand still, don't touch father, and only answer questions if asked," Perseus named the rules.

"Yes, love," Ginny said sadly. She hated that her children lived in fear of their father, but as she did as well there wasn't a whole lot she could do about it.

"We'll be really good, Mummy," Orion said earnestly.

"I know you will, sweetie." Ginny pressed a kiss on his soft strawberry blonde hair.

Lia popped into the nursery to assist with getting the children fed and dressed in their best robes. Twenty minutes later, Ginny smiled to see her brave, beautiful children ready to go downstairs. Seven-year-old Perseus and six-year-old Orion were dressed in their pale green dress robes with their black dress shoes gleaming. Both boys had short strawberry blond hair that was slicked back away from their faces. Perseus had his father's pale grey eyes while Orion had her brown eyes. Three-year-old Titania looked just like her mother with unruly red curls, a sprinkling of freckles across her face and big, brown eyes. Lia had managed to tame Titania's curls into a plait down her back.

"Don't you all look wonderful," Ginny smiled.

She glanced over at her loyal elf who said, "Master and…his guest are enjoying breakfast in the morning room. He has requested an audience with the children before leaving."

Ginny nodded shortly. Lia looked at her sadly. "Does you want some breakfast, Mistress?"

Ginny shook her head. "No, I don't have an appetite this morning."

Thirty minutes later, Ginny stood with her children in the parlour waiting for their father. She could hear the sycophantic laughter of her husband's mistress. It was a sound that went straight through her. Not that she really cared who her husband was sleeping with, but why in Merlin's name did he have to bring her here? The children didn't need to see such behaviour.

Glancing over at her sons, she straightened Perseus' tie and brushed Orion's hair back. "You are such good boys," she whispered. She wished she could do something about the scared look on their faces, but they had reason to fear their father and they knew it. When he'd visited six months ago, he'd hit Perseus for smiling at him.

When she heard the click of Pansy's heels, Ginny straightened up and gestured for the children to do the same. The boys stood at attention with their hands behind their backs. Ginny held Titania's hand to keep her still. The little girl must have instinctively understood that she had to behave because she held perfectly still.

Draco entered the parlour with Pansy on his arm. Ginny's face fell into impassive lines as she watched her husband inspect their children. He nodded approvingly. "Good."

His attention turned to his wife. "There will be a Ministry ball in London next week. You will attend with me."

Pansy's smile slid off her face. "But Draco."

Without even looking, Draco backhanded her. "Quiet woman!"

"Ginevra, you will arrive at my mother's house next Thursday and be prepared to stay for a week. The children will remain here," Draco said pompously.

"Yes, Draco," Ginny replied as she was expected to do.

"Make sure you bring appropriate attire," Draco drawled. "Mother will help if you are unable to do so yourself."

"I can pick out appropriate attire," Ginny said with a calm she certainly wasn't feeling. "I went shopping with your mother last month and ordered new clothes."

"Very good," Draco said. He ran his eyes over his wife. "You should have joined me and Pansy last night, we could have had a lot of fun. It was fun one at a time, but it would have been more fun with the two of you together."

Ginny glared at him without responding. He'd only tried to force her to join him and whatever girl he'd brought home once. That had been early in their marriage. She had hexed him to the point he left her alone. Of course he'd beaten her before he left and confiscated her wand, but he hadn't attempted to coerce her again.

Laughing, he led Pansy out of the room. Ginny didn't move until she heard the door close behind him. Dobby popped into the room and handed her back her wand. "Thank you, Dobby," she said.

"You are welcome, Mistress," Dobby said. "Dobby must return to London."

"Of course," Ginny agreed. Once he left, she relaxed. Looking over at her children, she smiled. "You did really well." She picked up Titania and kissed her on the cheek. Perseus and Orion hugged her and she put an arm around their shoulders.

"You have to leave?" Perseus asked.

"Not yet, love," Ginny reassured him. "When I leave, Lia and Mimi will look after you."

Seeing his downcast face, Ginny silently cursed her husband for the millionth time. "Why don't we all go outside? Let's go up to the nursery and get changed. We can play outside."

Perking up both boys ran to the stairs with Titania not far behind. Ginny followed at a more sedate pace. She was going to change into jeans before going outside.

The warmth of the mid-summer sun shone down on her as Ginny slowly relaxed. Whenever Draco visited, she was always on edge. He delighted in tormenting her. When she'd first been installed out here in the country house, she thought it would be fun to get some baby chicks. Her mother had always had chickens.

Draco had been furious when he'd found out. She vividly remembered him dragging her outside and snapping the necks of the baby chicks one by one before destroying the little pen she'd made for them. He'd reminded her she was now a Malfoy, not a poor blood-traitor. She was never to embarrass him in that way again.

Pushing her husband out of her mind, she smiled at the sight of her children playing together. It had been raining most of the week, so it was a relief to get out of the house and let them play. Orion and Perseus were supposed to be playing tag, but mostly they were splashing in the mud puddles. Titania, was busy collecting flowers to make a flower chain.

As if realizing her mother was watching her, Titania looked up and smiled. Ginny returned the smile and blew the little girl a kiss. If Orion and Perseus favoured their father, Titania was all her. From her bright red hair and big brown eyes to the smile that Ginny saw every day in the mirror, her daughter was her in miniature.

A sense of contentment stole over her as she warmed herself in the sun. When she was with her children, she could pretend that everything was okay. When she was outside, she didn't have to look around the perfectly elegant mansion in which she lived and miss her parents' home. While Malfoy Manor was incredibly elegant, it was also cold and sterile, not like the loud and loving home in which she'd grown up. Eight years ago, she would never have imagined that she'd find herself in this situation.

It had all started in the autumn of her seventh year at Hogwarts. The war had ended over the summer and everyone was so relieved and happy. The fear and apprehension that they'd lived under for so long had evaporated almost overnight. There were parties and fireworks, all sorts of celebrations. Her parents had thrown a huge party for their family and friends at their family home, The Burrow, to celebrate. Diagon Alley was a joyous place, not the dreary and scary place it had been for the past several years. Shopping for her school supplies had been a joy that year, not a task to be hurriedly completed as it had been for so many years. She recalled sitting in the Great Hall with her friends enjoying breakfast.

Demelza and Julia were her best friends in Gryffindor. After her disastrous first year, it had taken her some time to find her place, but she'd finally made some good friends. She was a Chaser on the Gryffindor team, towards the top of most of her classes, and best of all she didn't have an older brother looking over her shoulder this year. This was going to be a wonderful year!

As she reached for another few slices of bacon, the morning owls flew down to deliver their messages and packages. Ginny watched with interest as Demelza unwrapped the latest edition of Witch Weekly.

"Harry Potter!" Julia squealed as she caught sight of the handsome young man on the front of the magazine.

Ginny looked over at the magazine with interest. She couldn't deny that she was curious about the reclusive and mysterious man who had saved them all. She knew he was only a year older than she was, but he hadn't been educated at Hogwarts. According to all of the rumours, he'd been in training most of his life. He'd openly come out against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named four years ago and had been one of the leaders of the resistance. Over the summer he had killed You-Know-Who in a huge battle in a town called Little Hangleton.

Ginny's father and older brothers had fought in the battle and luckily they had all escaped with their lives. Two of her older brothers, Bill and Fred, had been injured in battle and had spent the summer recovering. While most of the Hogwarts' students had been sheltered from the war, there were still some students missing. Luna Lovegood, one of Ginny's best friends, was among them. She had been taken from King's Cross last year and held in an attempt to silence her father's outspoken support of Harry Potter. Ginny had heard from Luna over the summer and hoped Luna would be returning later this year.

"He's so cute," Julia said breathlessly as Demelza opened the magazine.

"He is," Ginny had to admit as she gazed at the pull out poster that had come in the magazine. Harry Potter was fit and tall with longish black hair he wore pulled back in a ponytail. His infamous scar was barely visible. He was pictured on Diagon Alley, but he was looking directly at the camera. Looking over the picture, Ginny thought his best feature were his brilliant, green eyes. They were lively and intelligent and while he didn't look happy per se, he did look relieved.

"I heard he's going to join the Aurors," Demelza said.

"I imagine he'd be good at that," Ginny said, "he's certainly had a lot of practice chasing down Dark wizards. My brother, Bill, saw him in action. He said that Harry was really good, especially when you consider his age."

After perusing the article, Demelza looked up at Ginny. "Are you excited about the Hogsmeade weekend?"

Ginny shrugged. "It's always nice to get out of the castle."

"I heard that David was going to ask you," Julia said excitedly referring to the cute Hufflepuff prefect.

"Really?" Ginny glanced over at the Hufflepuff table. She'd had classes with David for years. He was very sweet. She blushed slightly as he caught her eye. He was rather dreamy with his curly brown hair and blue eyes. "That would be nice."

"You're not still with Dean, right?" Julia asked.

Ginny shook her head. "No, he was too…I don't know, he kept wanting to tell me what to do. A long distance relationship would never work out for the two of us. He was nice, but he certainly wasn't the one."

The three girls left the table in high spirits. As they left the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall was walking across the entrance hall. Upon spotting Ginny, she said, "Miss Weasley, will you please join me in my office?"

A feeling of unease rose up within her. Why would the headmistress want to see her? "Of course, Professor."

Waving to her friends, Ginny fell in behind the older witch and nervously followed her to her office. Her grades were good so she didn't think it was about her schoolwork. She'd had a letter from her mother the previous day and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Her brothers were all doing well. Bill was back in Egypt working in the tombs. As soon as he'd recovered from his wounds, he'd left England taking his new wife, Fleur, with him. Charlie was happy in Romania with his dragons. Percy was working at the Ministry and doing quite well for himself. The twins had an owl order joke business. They were saving for an actual shop, but were doing quite well for themselves. Her youngest brother, Ron, had just graduated from Hogwarts. He was working for the Ministry in the Department of Games and Magical Sports.

When they arrived in the headmistresses' office, Ginny's anxiety jumped up another few notches when she saw her father waiting for her.

"Dad!" she automatically hugged him. "What's wrong? Is everyone okay?"

"Your mother and brothers are fine," Mr Weasley reassured her. "Sit down, dear."

Nervously, Ginny sat down in the chair next to her father. Professor McGonagall sat down behind her desk. Ginny noticed that the headmistress had a worried look on her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked again.

"I've just come from the Ministry. I was called into the Minister's office yesterday morning," Mr Weasley began with a break in his voice. To Ginny's horror, she noticed tears welling up in her father's eyes. "Your brother, Percy, was there as well. Over the past few years, Percy seems to have run up a good deal of debt. He owes almost seven hundred and fifty Galleons."

Ginny frowned. That was a lot of money, but what did it have to do with her?

"The problem is he owes the money to Lucius Malfoy," Mr Weasley continued as Ginny gasped at the name of the Malfoy patriarch. The disagreement between the Weasleys and Malfoys had been simmering for years, boiling over when Mr Malfoy planted an enchanted diary on Ginny in an attempt to derail the Muggle Protection Act championed by Mr Weasley.

"Percy didn't realize who he was borrowing from as he was using a company recommended to him by Minister Fudge. Overspending is a common mistake that many young people make when they first leave home," Mr Weasley explained. It seemed as though he was trying to excuse Percy's mistakes.

Wondering how this impacted her, Ginny could see how it could happen. Percy had left home as the war was heating up. Their parents hadn't been able to help him set up his own household and he'd had to start from scratch. Knowing Mr Malfoy she was nervous about Percy having to repay him.

"This morning, I discovered that Malfoy also bought up the outstanding loan that I have on the Burrow, which comes to another thirty-five hundred Galleons. He is demanding the entire payment in the next fifteen days," Mr Weasley continued.

"Fifteen days?" Ginny gasped. How was even half that amount to be repaid so soon?

"Bill has offered some money, but it isn't enough to cover the entire amount. Because he's just taken out a mortgage on Shell Cottage, he can't borrow enough to help us," Mr Weasley continued miserably. "With more time, we could raise the money, but with the short notice and the restrictions Mr Malfoy has placed upon us, we can't come up with the money. We were turned down for a second mortgage. If we can't come up with the total amount in the next fifteen days, he will confiscate the Burrow and Percy, your mother and I will likely have to go to prison."

Tears started streaming down Ginny's face. How could this happen just when things were going well? Her mother in prison? She would never survive. "What is going to happen?" Ginny asked. "Do I need to go to work? I can do that."

Through his own tears, Mr Weasley managed to smile for his daughter and reached out for her hand. "No, love. Mr Malfoy presented an alternative. I turned him down, but he insisted I bring it to you or else he would do so."

Ginny looked confused especially when she saw a look of horror spread across Professor McGonagall's face. "What is it? If it will keep you and mum out of jail…"

"Mr Malfoy said he would erase the entire debt against our family in exchange for your hand in marriage to his son, Draco," Mr Weasley said uncomfortably as he refused to meet Ginny's eyes.

"Arthur!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed.

"I know," Mr Weasley said miserably. "He's trying to humiliate us. He's angry that his side lost, but he maintains enough influence with Fudge that he can enforce this deal."

"He's trying to buy respectability," Professor McGonagall said angrily.

Ginny didn't hear anything past her hand in marriage to Draco. Draco Malfoy? The whisper of thousands of insults that he'd heaped on her and her friends and family over the years filled her head. Draco claimed that he'd been forced to join the Death Eaters, but Ginny didn't think that was true.

"Is there no other way?" Ginny asked.

"He's refused to give us more time to come up with the money, which unfortunately is his right," Mr Weasley explained. "I don't have the money and I am unable to borrow more. I even tried to see if I could borrow money in the Muggle world, but I don't have the right documentation or enough time. The boys have tried to put some money together, but we simply don't have enough. I thought I had time to pay back our loan. I had a payment schedule, but when Malfoy bought up my loan he consolidated the payments."

"Draco couldn't want to marry me," Ginny protested. "He hates me."

"I think it is more about humiliating our family," Mr Weasley said, his tears finally breaking free. "He's planned this well. I believe this was his escape strategy. By allying himself with our family, he buys some respectability in the eyes of the wizarding world. Because Malfoy has offered a way to keep us out of prison, the Ministry is insisting we attempt to reach an agreement rather than go to prison. They don't want us to go to jail when we will be needed to rebuild the Ministry."

"So can't they put pressure on Malfoy to give you more time?" Ginny asked a bit desperately.

Arthur shook his head. "I've spent this morning with legal specialists who say he has done all of this within the law. I tried last night and this morning to raise the money. My friends in the Ministry are sympathetic, but everyone has suffered with this war and no one has the kind of money to help us out."

"Has he guaranteed her safety?" Professor McGonagall demanded. "What sort of contract has he presented?"

Ginny looked up startled. She hadn't even thought that far ahead.

"He has guaranteed her safety, but she will have to leave Hogwarts," Mr Weasley sighed. "I tried to get him to allow her to finish school, but he wouldn't budge on that point. She will have to present him with an heir within the first year."

Watching her father, Ginny suddenly realized that he'd only mentioned the possible prison time to make her feel better. She was going to have to marry Draco Malfoy. Bile rose in her throat. It wasn't fair. She tried swallowing, but found she couldn't. Professor McGonagall had been watching her and quickly conjured up a bucket. Ginny emptied her stomach and continued retching for several long minutes.

Professor McGonagall came around her desk and gently rubbed Ginny's back when Mr Weasley seemed paralyzed. She conjured up a cool, wet flannel and handed it to the now sobbing girl. Once Ginny wiped her mouth, she cried on the professor's shoulder even as she heard her father's sobs.

Sitting up she wiped her face as anger surged through her. What right did he have to cry? She had no interest in marrying Malfoy, hell she had no interest in ever seeing him again. "Where is mum?"

"She was too upset to come," Mr Weasley explained sadly. "I had to give her a Calming Draught last night and she was almost hysterical this morning."

"Why? She isn't being forced to marry her worst enemy," Ginny said angrily. "Couldn't she be here for me?"

"She will be," Mr Weasley hastened to reassure her, but Ginny wasn't falling for his reassurance. She jumped up from her chair and faced him.

"So I get sold to Malfoy and you all get to keep everything?" Ginny yelled. "How is that fair? I didn't do anything! I won't marry him! He hates me! How could you do this to me? After all I heard after my first year about being more cautious, you don't even realize who holds the mortgage on the Burrow? Why weren't you being cautious?"

"I am so sorry," Mr Weasley said earnestly desperately trying to calm his irate daughter. "I am still trying to find a way out, but Malfoy seems set on using you to satisfy the debt."

"What would happen if I refuse?" Ginny asked wiping her tears away.

"I'm afraid you would join Percy, your mother, and me in jail," Mr Weasley said. "I'm still trying to see if I can get someone else to assume the debt, but I'm afraid that Malfoy has planned this too well. I fear it will fail."

"I thought Fudge was out of office," Ginny said trying to find anything to prevent this horror.

"He will be by the end of the week," Mr Weasley agreed, "but he signed off on this arrangement. Even if a more sympathetic Minister is elected, it will be too late to change this."

Ginny fell back in her chair with her head in her hands. When her father reached out to comfort her, she pulled away from him.

"When will the wedding take place?" Professor McGonagall asked. Ginny was grateful for her calming presence.

"Next month," Mr Weasley admitted. "Malfoy wishes for the wedding to take place on the 17th of October."

Despite everything her family tried, Ginny ended up marrying Malfoy on 17 October 1998 – a short two months after her seventeenth birthday. The first few months of her marriage were a blur of terror and pain. Malfoy visited her nightly to ensure she conceived. She had been so thankful to realize she was pregnant. That had stopped him visiting her for a while.

Looking up at her children, Ginny was thrilled that she had someone to love. Malfoy mostly left her alone in the country with the children while he spent most of his time in London with his ex-Death Eater cronies and various mistresses. It certainly wasn't the life she'd dreamt of, but she was making the best of it.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his world belong to JK Rowling. I am merely playing with her characters.

A/N: Thank you to my wonderful beta, Arnel, and my Brit picker, Mark! I do realize this is very different from much of my work, but I hope you will give it a chance.