A/N: Hello!

This is a Draco Malfoy/Astoria Greengrass story (well, duh…)

At first it is a bit deceiving.

Just saying

Reviews are honored and appreciated immensely

Reviews also help the writer use those few brain cells of his to update the next chapter

So… yeah…

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Enjoy!

A CHANCE IN LIFE

Chapter 1: Rotten World, Dreaming Fools

"Part of me I'll never see

Come visit me in my dreams

I feel my actions are destroying me

Deep down below the shallow life I lead

The pain is mine to keep and call my own

I'll carry it until I'm gone"

My Only – Goodnight Nurse

He took another sip from his champagne, irritated. Bloody parents, bloody parties. Bloody façade.

People chatting, smiling , joking amicably.

"Oh, what a nice dress you have Cissy! I do love blue on you."

"But, Olivia, dear, nothing compares to your exquisite necklace. It is really breath-taking."

Liars. All of them. His parents included. Well… no surprise there.

And was he not a liar himself?

No doubt.

"Now, if you ask me Malfoy, this 'War' deal hasn't affected your business at all."

"Money is still flowing is it not Bert?"

"Well, look at us! It certainly is."

Decadent men. All of them. Reassuring each other that they were still on the track and running. That there was still hope for them.

There wasn't any.

Things like that, hope, success, money, were now on other people's hands. Draco could easily think of five such people.

Longbottom, Weasley, Granger, Lovegood… -he stumbled on his wounded ego momentarily- Potter.

It was the age of blood-traitors and mud-bloods now. And he was stuck with the purebloods.

An old, rotten breed of wizards that was now slowly dying, decaying amidst cocktail parties.

Two years ago he was proud to announce he attended such parties. There was that gleam in his fellow Slytherins' eyes that used to satisfy him immensely.

Not anymore.

Now they didn't even bother to look at him if -by some accident- they happened to meet.

"My, my! Look at Draco. Honestly Cissy, he has grown to be a very handsome gentleman."

"He has, hasn't he? Lucius and I are so proud. If only he was a little more sociable."

"But it's only natural, my dear. There is no one his age in here."

"There is Daphne and Blaize."

"Indeed but I am sure he just doesn't want to interrupt them. It is never nice to come between a couple."

Daphne and Blaize. Right. He had forgotten about them. They were a couple now. They seemed in love.

Fools.

What use was it to fall in love now? They would never be happy. Their pureblood society was dissolving around them.

Those lineages of theirs were infected by putrid, repulsive beliefs. Love was condemned for them.

For him.

"Well, what about Draco? Is there someone…?"

"Oh no! He wants to concentrate on work now. Make some money, a name for himself and then settle down."

"Of course. He was always a sensible boy."

He sniggered unintentionally. Was his mother lying or did she actually believe what she was saying, he wondered.

Concentrate on work? Make a name for himself? Seriously?

But he didn't even have a job. He just helped with his father's business. He was given an office where he sat half of the day pretending he was working, just to excuse the money he got at the end of every month.

No effort did he make. No intention did he have to succeed. No possibility either.

It was a rotting world after all, the world he was living in.

He had no illusions for the future.

Contrary to Blaize and Daphne he didn't fancy kidding himself with dreams of happiness.

The future forecast for his breed was one.

There was no future.

They got mixed up with the wrong man. Scarred their wrists with snake figures to prove their foolishness and –was it really a surprise?- they had fallen together with him.

Lord Voldemort.

Once he shivered just thinking of him.

And he was not ashamed to admit that, had he still been alive, he would still shiver.

He was a coward after all, something he had proved repeatedly during the War.

He had accepted his character by now.

No one else seemed willing to do so, but he had.

He was a coward. Arrogant, bad-tempered, only mildly clever, an egoist. He wanted everyone to think he was faultless. He hated being emotional. He cared only for three people on earth.

One of them was himself.

He had no real talent in, well, anything. He was not a dreamer.

But above everything else, he was a coward.

And that infuriated him immensely.

Because, he had not joined the Dark Lord for fame or power or because he just fancied hurting people. He had done it cause he was afraid.

How pathetic a reason!

"How about your son Olivia? And your younger daughter? I mean I see Daphne here but I haven't seen those two for some time."

"Elliot is fine. Of course you know how he broke my heart when he announced he was not taking over his father's business. Wanted to play Quidditch, he said and we had to compromise. Tori hasn't done much either but we never had high expectations for her anyway."

"I heard Elliot is quite good Chaser so you should be proud. As for Tori, well she's still young. She'll mature before you know it."

More lies, Draco told himself.

Again people re-assuring each other all was well. It wasn't.

Not really.

Powerful families, pure blood, every wish granted for those kids.

Wasted time.

Efforts in vain.

The future was grim.

Daphne and Blaize would not be happy for long.

Elliot was not such a talented Chaser.

Tori would not mature.

And he would definitely not settle down or make a name for himself.

"Yet, I haven't seen them this evening."

"Yes, it is true. Only Daphne and I came with Elias today. Elliot said he had practice and he would try to come here afterwards. Tori was being an infant again, refusing to wear a ballroom dress, so I told her she'd better stay at home."

The blonde took a glimpse of the two middle-aged women nodding synchronized and decided it was safer to keep his distance form them.

He'd hate it to be dragged into their conversation.

He retreated to a dark corner and took a look at the room. A spacious lounge, skillfully decorated with all sorts of unique stuff. Full of rotten people.

It made him sick.

So why didn't he escape?

Why didn't he announce he always dreamt of becoming a dragon breeder and move to Romania?

Why didn't he lie and leave?

Easy question. Simple answer.

He was a coward.

The thought of breaking free scared him. He'd rather stay and rot in that cage.

Suddenly an ear-piercing sound awakened him from his thoughts and made him –even against his own will- look up.

To Draco's rusty from inutility eyes that sight was a breakthrough. For the past two years he had been numbed. He saw but didn't really notice anything. Nothing was worth noticing.

Till that moment.

That moment it seemed to him that the Heavens had opened and it was raining miracles.

First the main door opened widely. Both panels flew forwards and a strange breeze entered the room. The breeze hit Draco on the face, messing his blond hair, practically compelling him to take a deep breath. Fresh air.

And together with it a man on a broom.

The man flew fast a few feet above the wooden floor knocking down two waiters in the process. He made a couple of circles above people's heads, rendering them speechless.

Then he landed with grace on top of the buffet. His foot was right inside the pudding and everyone was gaping at him.

"Elliot? Is that you?" The woman Draco knew was Olivia Greengrass bellowed at the young flyer.

Elliot Greengrass? He questioned perplexed.

True enough it was a young boy, about two years younger than him that stood proudly on the buffet.

He had jet black hair and -if Draco was not mistaken- blue eyes, though it was hard to tell since he was wearing a pair of brown goggles. He wasn't particularly tall. He had childlike looks and very delicate characteristics that made him appear rather feminine, but that was probably because he was not yet nineteen.

He was a boy both in body and heart. And he was happy. Free.

Draco was amazed.

"Yes, mother, it is me." His voice was that of a child too.

"Come down here Elliot!" The woman hissed pointing the floor.

The boy, Elliot, complied but showed no sign of defeat.

He agreed on his own free will to come down from the large table, he did not obey.

Draco took a step towards the boy but regretted it.

Could it be possible that that boy who was just out of Hogwarts had managed to break free from that world?

It sounded surreal to the blonde.

But even if it was true it didn't matter.

What business did he have with that boy? He, the coward, the snake-scarred, the rotten…

He tried to return to his champagne. His life.

He could hear Mrs Greengrass scolding her son from afar but pushed the sound away.

He just had to relax and return to his sulking. Piece of cake for a cold, emotionless person like him.

So where was I…?

"Hey!" Draco almost jumped up startled. It was him. Elliot. Holding a butterbeer which was impossible for him to drink wearing those goggles.

"Hrmph." The blonde growled unpleasantly.

"Wow, man, take it easy!" The boy said raising both his hands over his head in mock surrender, spilling some butterbeer on the floor.

"Can I help you?" Draco did not appreciate the carefree ways of the Chaser.

"Absolutely not! Besides, why would I need any help? It's a party right?" The boy's dead-serious expression made the situation even funnier.

"Then why are you talking to me?" In other words I do not want to talk to you, so sod off.

"Well, it was either you or Blaize. And Blaize is currently snogging my sister so…yeah." That boy had no trouble speaking his mind, Draco gathered.

"You should have gone to Blaize." He spat.

"And miss on such a cheerful lad? No way." Elliot joked good-naturedly. His companion though was never one to appreciate humor.

"Irony won't help your case." It was clever, curt and consistent, thought the blonde.

"And grumpiness won't help yours." The young boy shot back unfazed. Well, it was bound to be hard to unsettle a person who flew inside a cocktail party anyway.

"Nice comeback. Too bad I am not interested in conversing with you." Draco was getting irritated quickly. He had wished to meet with the boy at first. True.

But after all it was a stupid impulse.

People like him needed peace and space to sulk satisfyingly.

Boys like Elliot needed a happy person to fly to parties with them.

Compatibility meter was close to zero.

"Draco Malfoy, am I right?" Elliot asked paying no attention to the blonde's previous words.

He didn't bother to properly reply. He just nodded.

"Elliot Greengrass. I've heard tons about you." The boy went on as if he was in a trance.

"You were a Death Eater right? Have you ever killed anyone? Did you know Voldemort? Was he as ugly as they describe him? Did they send you to Azkaban after the War?" A million questions flew from the black-haired boy's mouth at the speed of light.

Draco just blinked. Annoyed.

"Yes, no, yes, I have no idea how they describe him and no." He said a boring look gracing his pale face.

He took another sip from his champagne as Elliot's mouth formed an 'O'.

Then the boy came closer to him with a sneaky look and whispered.

"Are you evil?"

The other was not sure if he was supposed to laugh or seriously reply. What a pain that boy was!

"If I tell you, I'll have to kill you." He whispered back with a well-prepared smirk.

"I'll take that as a yes." Elliot muttered.

"So what's your secret?" The Chaser fired yet another question.

Secret? Had he really any secrets? Draco didn't think so.

Surely he didn't mouth every thought he made. Au contraire…

But real secrets?

"I have no secrets." He simply replied looking away.

"Unacceptable!" Elliot protested with anger rather unjustifiable. He looked as if he was trying to protect the blonde's honor or something.

"Sorry to disappoint." He mocked.

"Look, I'll make you a deal." Begun the boy. "I will tell you one of my secrets." He paused dramatically. "As long as you agree to come with me to Diagon Alley tomorrow at five in the evening."

Draco just stared at him for a moment. He was trying to figure out what part of that deal was in fact beneficial for him but could not come up with an answer.

Maybe it was enough to satisfy that little curiosity that he was feeling. Maybe not.

"Fine." He blurted out and regretted it the moment the words came out of him mouth.

"Cool! I always wanted to meet someone who actually lived the War from the inside. My old man didn't even let me go to school that year." He sounded disappointed.

Draco sighed. Yet another fool.

He recognized his kind. There were many out there.

People who met him at pubs and asked him if he was planning on killing Harry Potter any time next week.

He was disgusted by their stupidity and morbid curiosity.

'He'll be dead before the 15th.' He usually replied to them and sat back to enjoy their terrified looks.

So after all that was Elliot Greengrass. The enthusiasm Draco had felt upon seeing him for the first time was beginning to fade.

He hadn't broken free either. He was just too stupid to realize he was caged.

"You look grimmer than before. If that is actually possible." The younger of the two pointed out casually.

"So?" The twenty-year-old felt strained. He hadn't had such a long conversation with a human for a very long time.

"Why are you like that?" Elliot clearly asked with a scrutinizing glance that didn't really match with his fooling-around attitude.

"What? You mean grim? Well, why aren't you?" Draco asked slightly curious as to what the answer would be.

"I have better things to do." Said Elliot after a minute's pause.

"Like talking to me? Nice thinking there. But anyway, good for you. I , on the other hand have nothing better to do than this." The blonde hurried to explain hoping that this wave of information would keep the black-haired boy silent for a while.

It didn't.

"You have tomorrow at six." He stated and then disappeared as suddenly and unexpectedly as he had appeared.

Apparated? Draco blinked confused.

But he hasn't yet told me the secret! He whined and upon realizing he was doing so he cursed himself bad.

Then a new thought crossed his mind.

He said Diagon Alley at five but didn't say where. That boy was possibly the most disturbed person he had ever met. And he wasn't intrigued by his personality either.

He was annoyed. And flustered. And pissed. And everything that had a meaning similar to annoyed.

He was furious.

Bloody parties. Bloody parents. Bloody façade.

He took another sip from his champagne.

Rotten world.

A/N: I hope you liked it.

Next chapter will be up soon

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Kisses

Sarah