A/N: Everything except the stuff you don’t recognize belongs to JK Rowling and her utter genius.
Now what?
The doorbell sounded late in the Malfoy household. Medea was halfway down the staircase from her room when Draco answered the door for three people whom she had a sudden urge to strangle.
A few words were exchanged and Draco’s eyes narrowed slightly at something, but he allowed the downcast crew to enter the foyer of Malfoy Manor. Medea wasn’t sure if he had known that she was standing there, but her father turned directly toward her and gave her an almost imperceptible smile. She hoped that meant that so far he approved.
Medea ran down the stairs and pushed her friends back out the door before they even realised that she had joined them. But Patrick didn’t miss a beat. Once the door was firmly shut he pulled her against him and just held her for several minutes before he pulled slightly back and kissed her. After the evening he’d just had he really needed her love and support.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered once he relinquished her.
Odile was apparently the only one willing to speaking. “We didn’t really know where else to go. We’ve had a bad evening…really bad.”
Then she felt bad for wanting to strangle them. She didn’t have to ask to know that he’d finally told his family about her, and if the looks on their faces were any indication, it hadn’t gone well. “What happened?”
“It was going okay,” Hyatt began, “I was there with my parents because they’ve actually met you and they like you and all so I thought it would be okay””
“Except Patrick’s parents also invited my parents to dinner,” Odile cut in, “and that wasn’t good.”
“Of the lot, Uncle Ron is the one who hates your parents the most and he makes sure that no one forgets that they should too,” Hyatt explained.
“I tried everything I could think of but they still went.”
They all looked so defeated. Clearly they weren’t telling her everything. “Well? What did they say?”
“That we should be ashamed.”
“That we weren’t true Weasleys.”
“That I couldn’t come home,” Odile said last.
The other three stared at her. Apparently the boys hadn’t known about this either. “What?” Patrick whispered with a painful expression.
Tears quickly filled her Odile’s blue eyes. “Right before we left Dad stopped me and said that if I was going to support this kind of behavior then I should find somewhere else to stay.”
“Oh, Dile,” Medea whispered, using the pet name for the first time herself. “Do you have a place to go?”
She shrugged. “I’m sure I’ll find something. Don’t worry.”
“There’s always the summer home,” Patrick said. “The three of us could stay there, just like old times. Let everyone cool off a bit. And Hyatt can come just to hang out.”
At that, Medea turned to Hyatt. “How did your parents take it?”
Hyatt actually grinned. “They already knew, and since they like you and actually know you, they got yelled at a little bit too.”
The group nearly jumped out of their skin when they heard the loud pop and Phaedra appeared five feet away. “Hi, just found out,” she said as she joined them.
“What does your family think?” Patrick asked.
“Mum’s none too happy about it. She said something about Malfoy’s making dad look the way he does.” She shrugged. “Dad doesn’t seem to care though.” Then she really looked around the group. “Merlin, you all look down. Was it really that bad?”
“Worse,” Patrick said dryly.
Phaedra looked around at her cousins and suddenly felt very left out. “What happened?”
“Dile got kicked out,” Hyatt said softly.
Her eyes widened. “Merlin…”
Odile sniffed. “It’s okay, really, we’re going to stay at the summer home.” She forced a smile. “Want to come?”
“’Course,” Phaedra agreed. She turned back to the rest of the group. “So, what do you think? Will they ever get over it?”
Then to everyone’s surprise, Patrick cracked and tears filled his eyes and rolled down his cheek just as fast. He crumpled to the ground. “I don’t know. Damnit!”
Medea gave her friends a scared look and joined him on the ground. His arms immediately pulled her close, rocking back and forth with his sobs. She soon gave into tears of her own, feeling the same helplessness that she knew her secret husband was feeling.
Hyatt shifted uncomfortably after several minutes had passed. “Come on, mate, it’s not as bad as all that. You’ve just told them. Give them some time.”
Odile sniffed and crossed her arms. She knew her father and enough time was going to be a long time for him.
But Patrick seemed to calm down a little. He slightly relinquished his hold on Medea and looked up at his cousins. “You’re right. I shouldn’t be so desperate yet.”
“Besides,” Medea added with the smallest of smiles, “I found a promising job ad in the Daily Prophet.”
“And you’re going to start your Auror training soon. Could you get a job while you’re training?” Phaedra suggested.
“I should think so.”
“Then you could get married and move out on your own.”
The couple shared a private glance and a smile. “That had crossed my mind,” Patrick nearly chuckled.
Suddenly, the whole mood of the gathering lightened and grins began to break out amongst the cousins. “You’re serious? Tell me you’re serious,” Hyatt demanded.
“Are you engaged, then?” Phaedra asked with a growing smile.
“Well””
“You better be!” Odile said “Because otherwise””
“We are!” Medea assured them with a bright smile. “We are.”
“Then we should celebrate! Merlin, we should have party!” Phaedra practically squealed.
“Yeah,” Hyatt agreed. “Listen, we’ll give you lot a bit of”” He wagged his dark eye brows “private time and get something together at the cabin then you’ll come on. Sound good?”
Patrick and Medea exchanged glances and chuckles. “Sure,” Patrick laughed.
“Brilliant! Phaedra? Odile? Ready?” He didn’t wait for them to reply, just disappeared.
Phaedra laughed and followed. But Odile remained behind.
“Medea,” she said softly. “Could I have a word?” She glanced at Patrick. “Privately?”
“’Course, yeah, go ahead,” Patrick mumbled and disappeared with a pop.
“Dile, what is it?”
Then she began to cry again. “I just”I wanted to you know that even though I was reluctant to be your friend, I count you as one of my best. I’m doing this just as much for you as I am for Patrick.”
Medea pulled her friend into a warm hug. “Thank you, Odile, it means the world to me.”
She smiled one last time, her eyes still shining with tears. “I’ll go now. See you in a bit.” She disappeared.
Not five seconds later, Patrick reappeared. Somehow she knew he hadn’t been too far away. “Do you think we could tell them everything?” he asked as soon as he was beside her.
“Yes, but not tonight. Let them throw their engagement party and we’ll tell them later. When should we tell our parents that we’re engaged?”
He shrugged and pulled her to him. “Good question, I don’t know if they’ll ever get over this. I should probably just tell them.”
“Not now, though. I want you to meet my parents, just as my boyfriend now. I want them to see that you won’t hurt me, and that you love me and that that’s all that matters. Will you?” she asked with a soft, pleading smile. “I think their fears would be put to rest if they could meet you, and not just at the door.”
He looked skeptical and, considering what he’d just been through, he had good reason to be. Still, she knew why her parents were nervous and it wasn’t only because he was a Potter. They feared that since he was he would be persuaded to hurt their daughter.
Blessedly, he smiled. “Okay.”