ANother one-shot! I LOVE this one, its been my baby, I must have edited it like 90 times. So please read and review!
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everying belongs to J.K Rowling and all the rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.
As I descended the stairs, three heads turned. My eyes avoided the ice cold gray ones and focused on the deep moss green of my fathers.
A sneer seemed to have attached itself permanently to Mr. Malfoy's face while a scowl occupied his sons. I'm sure I was just another thing for Lucius Malfoy to add to his list of achievements. Something for him to brag about to the other bloody Death Eaters.
When I got to the bottom of the ridiculously long staircase, the women at the table looked over. Mrs. Malfoy seemed disinterested and my mother cold. Head held high, I took a seat across from Draco. He couldn't even look me in the eyes and we were getting married in less than five years. The arrangement had been made about six years ago but I had been told just two short months before now. At first I could not even consider the idea and even thought about running away. But I had grown to accept this was the way it was and resisting wasn't going to change anything. My engagement would be a lot easier if my fiancé could bear to speak to me.
Once my family and the Malfoy's were all seated, he entered. I refused to look at him. Choosing instead to stare at the banner bearing the Malfoy coat of arms above his head; my father eventually glared daggers at me long enough to force me to look at him. With red slanted eyes, slits for nostrils, and white-gray skin pulled tight over his bones, Voldemort was not a pretty thing to look at. He stared eerily at our little party with a slightly amused smirk on his face.
When he spoke, his voice was as smooth as the top of his head. "How nice it is to hear and see the uniting of two Pureblood families in marriage." Surprisingly, Draco looked up and caught my eyes. I didn't respond to the look of dread on his face, choosing to give him a blank, dead stare. His father seemed to have noticed his expression and his suck-up-to-the-big-guns smile seemed to be forced now.
"Yes Master, Gregor and I thought that the decision in uniting our families was the best thing we could have done." Lucius grounded out. "Gregor's daughters are both beautiful and some of the purest blood; who else would be the best for Draco." Lucius smiled almost sweetly, obviously trying to win Voldy's attention and favour. But my father would not give up so easily.
"I very much agree with you Lucius. Astoria will be a wonderful wife to Draco. She has both brains and beauty, and also a competence in the line of dueling." My father smiled proudly and raised his goblet. "Let's toast to Draco and Astoria." Everybody raised their goblets. I without care, Draco grudgingly and grimacing, our mothers without interest, and my father and Lucius Malfoy having a contest of who could raise their goblets the highest and who could smile wider. Voldemort smirked; obviously amused by the two grown men acting like children, trying to win his attention and favour.
After dinner, the men, including Draco, retired to Lucius Malfoy's study. My mother and Narcissa disappeared, probably to one of many elaborately decorated sitting rooms. They had obviously forgotten my presence as they wandered down the long corridor without turning to see if I was following. Most daughters would feel hurt if their mother had ignored them, but I was used to it.
I stood awkwardly in the middle of the empty corridor; expecting someone to tell me where to go seemed to be doing me no good and I was starting to get tired of just standing there. I knew nothing of Malfoy Manor and if I wandered around, I would just get myself lost. Briefly wondering where my sister had disappeared to, I imagined her creeping down a hallway in search of Draco's room and the memorabilia that would perfect her collection that would lie beyond the door.
Just as I was about to walk off down the hallway in search of someone, the slam of a door alerted me and my eyes landed on the harassed face of my very own fiancé. Just as quick as his appearance his face morphed into a sneer, one worthy of Lucius Malfoy.
"Waiting for your dear fiancé, were you, Tora?" Malfoy sneered and I glowered at the use of one my dreadful nicknames.
"Oh, yes, of course, my love." I dead-panned. He smirked and stood straight, raised his chin but looked down into my eyes.
"My dearest Tora, which I love with all my cold Slytherin heart, let us walk, so you're painful thoughts of my absence will disappear."He replied dramatically and I couldn't help rolling my eyes. He didn't notice and hooked arms with me. I snorted and stepped back from him.
"Just wait Malfoy, don't think I'm going to snog you so easily. I'm no Pansy." I warned and he laughed.
"Who said anything about snogging?" He raised an eyebrow manically and I stuck my tongue out at him. I didn't even want to think about was he was insinuating.
After his smirk seemed to grow so much that I thought his face would break, he turned around and stalked off down the hallway, leaving me alone. I realized that we had moved from my original spot and that I had no idea where I was. The darkness in the corridor that was surrounding me seemed to close in around me as I watched the platinum blonde head grow smaller and smaller until he seemed to turn a corner and he disappeared from sight. Just as I made the decision, I held the hem of my robes up and started to run down the hallway in the tall high heels my mother had strapped me in. The portraits of Malfoys of long ago scoffed at the sight of me running down the hallway, probably thinking of how disgraceful showing my ankles was.
"Malfoy!" I called out, succeeding in keeping the urgency out of my voice. I couldn't have Malfoy knowing I was afraid of the dark. "Mal-" I was cut off as a dark figure jumped out at me and I screamed.
It echoed off the walls loudly, mixing with the figures howls of laughter. I stopped shrieking when I realized it was Draco.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" I exclaimed and he stopped laughing.
"I thought you saw me." He replied innocently but the smirk told the truth. Our expressions disappeared as the clatter of heels could be heard coming down the hallway. The noise grew louder and then Narcissa, a look of alarm on her face, appeared with my mother in tow.
"Draco, darling, what is wrong?" She stared at his face and before her gaze could switch to me, I placed a look of utter horror and shock on my face.
"Astoria? Are you alright?" My mother asked, the closest thing to care in her voice.
"Oh, it's nothing, Mother. Draco just scared me, jumped out at me. Harmless fun, really." I smiled weakly and Narcissa looked at Draco in disbelief.
"Is that true, Draco? Did you scare Miss Greengrass?" She looked at him and he didn't look her in the eyes which I assume she took as a yes. "Oh my, did you even think? What will Gregor and Felicity and most importantly Astoria, think of you? You and Astoria are betrothed and she deserves your utmost respect. Where were your manners?" I'd never expected someone as collected as Narcissa to let her anger get the better of her. I was quite astounded by her outburst. My mother looked shocked and her face was screwed up in a condescending manner. Narcissa then turned to us, a solemn look on her face. "I apologize for Draco's despicable behavior, Felicity and Astoria." Her eyes glanced meaningfully toward Draco, who was staring at the ground, his hair falling into his eyes. His mouth was pressed together into a line as if trying to contain laughter.
The clump of footfalls soon came and Lucius Malfoy and my father appeared, wands drawn. "Narcissa, what is wrong?" Lucius Malfoy spoke in a clear, cold annoyed voice.
"Oh, it was nothing, Lucius." Narcissa replied quickly. "Just Astoria and Draco… er… bonding." She flashed him a small tight-lipped smile and his eyes went skyward. I snorted naturally and all eyes turned to me. My father's eyes darkened and his lips became a thin line while my mother game me a cold hard stare. Lucius sneered, Draco smirked and Narcissa didn't seem to have noticed.
"Well, if that's all and there's no danger, Gregor and I will return to my study." Lucius sniffed and turned on his heel, my father at his side.
"As the children are fine, we should return also. Felicity?" Narcissa and my mother left also, leaving me alone with Draco in the dark hallway. I waited until the footsteps completely disappeared and then I turned to him and glared hard.
"Why did you do that? You practically scared me half to death!" I hissed and his smirk disappeared.
"Next time, I'll make sure I scare you double as much so I won't have to marry you." He replied coldly. I opened my mouth to speak but then closed it. I was lost for words as I turned around and felt tears pricking my eyes. I didn't really care what Malfoy thought of me, but we hardly knew each other, and he already wished me dead? How was I supposed to respond to that? Didn't he realize that I had no desire to marry him either? We were engaged and I was barely thirteen!
I felt a hand land awkwardly on my shoulder and I turned around. I managed to glare at him but then I felt a tear roll slowly down my cheek. A look of alarm crossed Malfoy's face and then he looked uncomfortable.
"Don't you dare cry, Greengrass." He warned with general fear in his voice.
"I'll cry if I want to." I mumbled through the tears that were now steadily falling.
"Stop it now, Greengrass." He repeated. I just stared at his alarmed face, as the tears continued to fall. I reached up to brush them away but my hand came back wet and snotty.
"You know, I didn't really mean what I said. I don't really wish you dead. I just don't want to marry you." He said quietly, looking at the ground. I looked at him incredulously,
"And you think I do?" I exclaimed, my jaw dropping open. He just shrugged. SHRUGGED!
"You might…" He replied nonchalantly.
"You're crazy, Malfoy! I'm only thirteen, why would I want to marry someone who's two years older than I?" I shouted, "Let alone, who's the biggest prat I've ever met!" He looked up, raised his chin and narrowed his eyes at me.
"I'd take that back I was you, Greengrass." He spat and took a step toward me as I stepped back.
"Just shut it, Malfoy. I'm not scared of you." I replied, wiping the last of my tears from my face. His eyes darkened and he whipped his wand out faster than I could blink. He came forward until I was backed into the wall. He was so close; I could feel his cold breath on my face. His wand was pointed at my neck, the tip digging in.
"Bug off, Malfoy." I scowled but he didn't move. "I said, bug off, Malfoy!" I wished that I had had a place to store my wand so I could've dealt with him. Again he didn't move so I placed my hands on his chest and pushed hard. He teetered before stumbling back a bit. That seemed to calm him down and he put his wand away.
His silence gave me time to think so I pushed off from the wall and straightened my formal dark blue dress robes. I patted my head to make sure my hair were still arranged in the twisty up-do. As I tried to iron the wrinkles out of skirt, Malfoy came out of his revere.
"C'mon, Greengrass, I'll just say the truth. Were getting married no matter what or who we do. So I think some bonding is in order, as we barely know each other." The look on his face was rather disdainful and a bit pained. I simply nodded and followed him as he walked down the hall. When we got to a less dark area, he stopped outside a thick wooden door. He turned the handle and pushed open the door to reveal a room decorated in green and silver. The room itself was huge, much bigger than my own. The four poster bed decorated in green and silver velvet and satin dominated one wall, while a desk another and a then finally the marble fireplace with green velvet chairs in front of it. Draco sat down in one chair and I sat opposite from him in another. A ball of light shot out of his wand and then the sound of embers crackling the dull roaring sound of the fire filled the silence.
"What now?" I asked quietly and he looked up as if he had just noticed I was there.
"Now we… actually, I have no idea. Any idea where your sister is?" He replied and I gave him the same incredulous look from before.
"Your idea of bonding is looking for my sister who harbours a strange obsession for you? Do you really need to feed your ego that much?" I exclaimed and he shrugged again.
Just then, a house elf appeared with a crack and both our gazes turned to it. "Young Master Malfoy, yo-your father is looking for you and Miss Greengrass in-in the en-entrance hall." It stuttered and disappeared again with another crack. Draco sighed and slowly got to his feet. Without a second glance, he walked out of the room and I followed.
We made our way to the entrance hall quite easily. When we walked in the Malfoy's and my parents were already there, wearing their cloaks. I stood beside my parents and Draco beside his, facing each other. A house elf brought me my cloak and I slipped it on. Lucius Malfoy broke the silence.
"What a wonderful time we've had. Thank you, Gregor, for bringing your family. Let's hope we shall see each other soon." His words almost made me snort again. We all knew the only reason Lucius Malfoy had invited us was because he wanted to show off his grand house. "Now, Draco, kiss Miss Greengrass goodbye and we shall see them off." Lucius added and I felt my eyes widen. My mouth went slack but then I clamped it shut. A look of shock crossed Draco's face and he looked at his father questioningly. Lucius' eyes hardened and he forced a smile and nodded at me. Narcissa simply smiled and patted Draco's arm. He took a hesitant step forward then paused for a second before striding over. I could feel mine and Draco's parent's stares boring into me and Daphne's jealous penetrating glare.
Draco leaned forward and placed each hand on my shoulders and I prepared myself. When his lips brushed mine I tried to put as much as I could into such a short kiss. When he pulled away, he looked startled. I just smirked and adjusted my cloak, then pulled the hood up. My family and I stepped outside. My father strode down the long drive toward the gates alongside my mother, and my sister and I followed. Just as we reached the gate, I turned around in time to see a very odd look on Draco Malfoy's face as the intimidating doors shut.
Hope you liked it as much as I do. I know the crying part was a bit dramatic but remember she's only 13 in this, she's still a bit immature. Now PLEASE, please, please, don't forget to review! :)