Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine, nor is the title which is from Shakespeare's King Richard III
Teach not thy lip such scorn
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Kakorrhaphiophobia: fear of failure or defeat
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She sees him across the room, joking about something with his friends, his laughter bright and beautiful. His paper lies carelessly on his table, a simple 'Acceptable' marked in the corner. He catches her eye for a moment and forms the word Dromeda (he is the only one that calls her that, not Andy or Meda, and it's an imperfect nickname all his own) with his mouth, before she turns away; Lucius Malfoy's critical eye focusing on her (an 'Outstanding' marked on his paper, sitting neatly in the corner of his desk).
She watches him leave class, tossing his paper in the rubbish bin (accidently tripping over his feet while doing so), and ruffling his hair (colored honey and sunshine, falling out of the lines, like Cissy's silly old coloring book) as he goes by. She spends an inordinate amount of time stuffing her things in her book bag, long enough for him to smile at her as he leaves, mouth forming Dromeda and she almost screams. Lucius walks by next, back straight, hair in place, surely reading her mind because his mouth curls as he passes by her, and she'll get married to him because he is a perfect pureblood gentleman.
But Lucius' hands are not warm and large, they do not close over her delicate fingers and reassure them. He does not mumble silly stories into her ear, ones that make no sense and are as outrageous in scope as they are in charm. He does not laugh brightly and beautifully, his feet do not trip over themselves, his hair is not made of honey and sunshine.
And if she were to tell him that they must accept defeat, that their charade must end, that she cannot fail her family, would he kiss her cheek and whisper 'Kakorrhaphiophobia, Dromeda, you fear failure and I fear defeat' ?
No, she knows he wouldn't, so she screams in her head because she will fail and love it.
A/N: This was done for the phobia challenge on HPFC (I should be doing other things, but gosh darnit these challenges are addicting!). I think I took a bit too many liberties with this one, and I'm still feeling a bit iffy about the ending. Ah well, it was a lot of fun to write and I hope it makes sense. Please read, review, and enjoy!