HELLO! SO this story is for the practice round of The Quidditch League, my task being to write a story with a relationship between family members. Now, I am rather awkward with this kind of thing, so I went with a pairing that I didn't know if they were related or not. Probably distantly.
Prompts:
(quote) "Never, ever allow yourself to feel. Feelings kill." –Malorie Blackman
(word) careless
(dialogue) What do you want from me?
…..
Draco took a deep breath and stood up. He was ready to face the crowd.
Chink chink. Everybody in the room turned to look at him. Why had his father insisted on this?
…
"I want you to marry your second cousin, Astoria."
"Astoria?"
"Yes. She is a Greengrass, you are a Malfoy, you have to keep the family pure. Especially after the war. You are old enough; you should have been married years ago!"
"Astoria? I've met her three times!"
"I'd met your mother once. And that was to propose."
"But I don't… I don't love her! I don't even like her! Hell, I don't know her!"
"Draco! You are to marry Miss Greengrass. I have talked to her father, and he is grateful. He was worried she was never going to get married, but now you are ready, you shall please everyone. I have sent out invites for a dinner on Wednesday-"
"Wednesday?"
"What have I told you about interrupting? Everyone will be there, all of our family, and hers, and the minister, and-"
"Do I not get a say in this? It's my marriage! I don't-"
"Draco Lucius Malfoy! You will listen to what I am saying! You have known since the age of seven that this was coming; you used to look forward to it. Being head of the family, and having the responsibility to carry it on."
"Father, I was seven. I thought the war changed something?"
"The only thing the war changed is the amount of good, proper, pure-blood women a young man can marry. You shall marry Astoria, and you shall propose on Wednesday, and you will be grateful. That is the end of the matter."
"But father-"
"That is the end of the matter, boy!"
"I am not a boy anymore! I have my own mind; I can make my own decisions! I want to marry someone I love, someone I have feelings for!"
"What have I taught you all of your life? Have you forgotten?"
"Father, I-"
"Have you forgotten your main lesson that easily? What have I always said?"
"Never, ever allow yourself to feel."
"That's right. Feelings kill."
"But father, can't I be happy? What do you want from me?"
"What I want is a nice respectful daughter-in-law and a nice pureblood grandson. Prepare for Wednesday. I expect you to be in your best dress robes."
…
And that was the end of the matter.
And so Draco was standing up in the manor's dining hall, facing hundreds of guests, and trying think of something to start with.
"Good evening." He raised his glass towards the guests. "So I don't know if any of you know why you are here today, but," he turned towards Astoria, who his father had placed next to him at the long table. "I am almost one hundred percent sure that you don't."
Oh, she knew alright. Her face was blank, but Draco had pulled that face enough times to know that she was not as unbothered as she appeared. What if she was happy about this? What if she was like his father wanted, just an arrogant pureblood wanting to marry him for his money and child? He had been stupidly careless. Why hadn't he just found a nice pretty half- or pure- blood and married her before his father could say anything. He should have known this was coming. He was almost thirty.
"Astoria, you are beautiful." This was true. "You are kind, and you are clever." This he didn't know. "I have never met a woman as wonderful as you." This he knew to be false.
"Astoria, I know we haven't known each other long-"
Draco looked over to his father. He had his eyes narrowed and Draco could tell he was focusing hard on the girl; to most onlookers, however, he would have looked confident and proud. Draco was only able to see through it because he knew his father wasn't proud of him.
His mother was smiling and gently nodded when she saw her son looking her way. Draco knew she had been scared he wouldn't agree to this, and would have surely been disowned.
Astoria wasn't smiling. What if she was in the same boat as him? She must have been told what was happening. What if she hated this, if she wanted to marry someone she loved, if she didn't care about statuses and money and marriage? She was even younger than him. She wasn't an arrogant pure-blood, or looking forward to this.
She had known this was coming, and hated it, but was ready.
And so Draco knew he had to get this over and done with. She wasn't an arrogant pure-blood, she didn't want to marry him, and maybe, just maybe, because of this they could become friends. And so maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
"-but I would be the most honoured man in the world, if you would agree to be my bride. Will you marry me?"
And Astoria swallowed, stuck up her chin and replied, "yes."
Astoria blinked out of her haze when she saw the man next to her finally stand up.
Chink chink. When everybody turned to look at him immediately, and many looked at her, she knew Malfoy and her father had told everybody what the dinner was for. So that meant everybody else in the room was more prepared than her.
…
"Astoria, you remember the other day, when we discussed your… your future?"
"Yes Papa, I remember. What is it?"
"An offer has come up from the Malfoys. Astoria, I wish for you to marry Draco. There will be a dinner on Wednesday."
"Malfoy? But he's my cousin! I thought I just had to marry a pure-blood, I thought that we no longer needed to marry within families."
"Well, we didn't. But then the war… and you should be grateful for this offer. You shall marry the Malfoy boy and then you will pass on our line."
"What about Daphne? Daphne knows him! I've met him twice!"
"Actually, dear, you have met him three times! Remember your sister's birthday two years ago?"
"Your mother is right Astoria. You have met this boy enough times to know him."
"But not to love him!"
"Astoria. I try and give you everything you want, but you do not need feelings for someone to marry them. Never, ever have feelings. Feelings kill."
"I know Papa, but-"
"Astoria, I will say no more about it. He shall propose on Wednesday, and you shall be happy."
"Yes Papa."
…
And that was the end of the matter.
And now she was about to get proposed to by a boy she barely knew, and she had no choice in her answer.
"Good evening." He paused. "So I don't know if any of you know why you are here today, but," he turned towards Astoria. "I am almost one hundred percent sure that you don't."
If they had been alone, she would have scoffed. She tried to cover her face with her usual mask, but he was as well. What if he hadn't suggested this? What if he was in the same position as her, and hadn't known about it until a few days ago? Maybe she could cope then. They would understand each other; be friends?
"Astoria, you are beautiful. You are kind, and you are clever. I have never met a woman as wonderful as you. Astoria, I know we haven't known each other long-"
Astoria looked out to the crowd. They were all smiling, or smirking, or grinning, like they had known this was coming. Had they known for longer than her?
Astoria was terrified for this, but so was Draco. She was ready.
"-but I would be the most honoured man in the world, if you would agree to be my bride. Will you marry me?"
And Astoria swallowed, stuck up her chin and replied, "yes."