Disclaimer: Not JK…
A/n: Written for the Song prompts competition. The song was I'm Not the One by 3OH!3
Draco Malfoy sat at one of the many tables of the despicably ostentatious restaurant Blaise had dragged him to. He looked around, trying to find the culprit who had disappeared ten minutes ago. Failing, he briefly considered leaving and promptly gave up the idea. He had no wish to go back to the depressing building that he called his house. The difference between a house and a home struck him painfully, and he drank the glass of butterbeer to dispel it, damning himself for being too chicken to take firewhiskey. Sure, he had had a bit too much when he had still been at Hogwarts. Back when he had been worshipped as the Slytherin god.
Draco snorted, thinking of those days. He rarely ever thought of them now, and when he did, it was with a lacing of contempt and scorn and only when he was starting to feel a bit of hope. To remind himself that the world was not a place where the sun shined, breeze blew and the flowers bloomed. It had been for that very reason that he had joined St Mungo's. But, as always was the case, his intentions had been to waste. He, as he found later, happened to be quite good at saving lives. His calm demeanor, quick thinking and unshakable composure made him an asset to the emergency team he headed now. But of course, he couldn't claim a complete success there either. He had seen his share of lost lives. He had stood watching as the flame of life had left the faces of men, women and children alike.
The most difficult of them all, ironically, should have been the easiest to watch. It had been his long lost aunt Andromeda. He had heard a variety of stories about her, all saying only one thing; that she had been a muggle loving blood traitor. But it was hard to think anything despicable about the aunt he had never met, when she had looked him straight in the eye with her sharp look and had told him to let her go. He had refused. It was his duty to save people, not let them kill themselves. Just like at everything else in his life, he had failed in that too. And her death had affected him far more than it normally should have. And it had worsened when his mother, who had not shed a tear when her closest sister had passed away or even when her husband had been kissed by the dementors, sat devastated when he had told her the news. She had collected herself, but that one second had been enough for him to see that his mother had truly cared for the dead woman. He had taken it upon himself to make it up to her.
Convincing Potter to let Teddy visit had been the most difficult thing he had done in his life but he had succeeded in the end because Potter, the noble fool that he was, still considered himself indebted to his mother. And so, Narcissa had rediscovered the purpose of her life. And he had been left alone. Once again.
The next time he looked up, he noticed her. Draco had no idea why out of the hundred or so women in there, she caught his eye. She was nothing unique. Like every other girl present there, she was well dressed and beautiful. But her dressing sense was a bit too cheerful for him and he tried to avert his eyes from her. Right at that moment, her jade green eyes pored into his and he gave up any attempt. She smiled brightly at him, as if she had known she'd meet him here all along. He saw that she was coming directly to his side of the restaurant and stood up to dart away. But something, may be his conscience, reminded him that it would be horribly rude. Cursing his blatantly good mannered conscience, he sat back and prepared himself for yet another boring night. Because he knew that none of the women who ever came here were known for their wit or intelligence.
"Hello there Draco" she greeted him by his name right away and Draco was surprised at her boldness. He hadn't heard much of the younger Greengrass sister. Partly because she had been a Ravenclaw at school and partly because she hadn't been anything striking back then. Her small voice and quite bearing had made it easy for her to slip into the shadows of her sister who had made up for her by being boisterous and uncontained. Looking at the perky woman sitting before him now, he really believed that people could do a one-eighty. She ordered a butterbeer for herself and as soon as the waiter had disappeared, turned to him.
"You drink butterbeer? Hmm…"
"What is it? Am I not supposed to or something?" he asked before he could help himself. May be the drink was loosening him up. He was known for never opening his mouth unless was absolutely necessary.
"Nothing's wrong, per se. I just never thought you to be the butterbeer type, you know?" she asked, tilting her head to the side, looking at him intently.
"Butterbeer type?" his voice was thick with amusement as he smirked at her. She seemed to not notice it.
"Yes. You're more of the firewhiskey type. Why don't you take it anyway?"
Seeing no way of avoiding the question, he said, "Just being cautious is all. Alcohol has the potential to embarrass you" he explained, hoping she'd drop the subject. He did not wish to be discussing his liquor preferences with anyone. Much less her.
"Oh! You mean you're afraid of the secrets you'd spill if you took too much to drink. Am I right?" she asked in a whisper, ending with a triumphant grin that left him thrown and irritated at the same time. Before he could formulate a sharp enough reply, a voice interrupted him.
"Hey there Astoria! Fancy seeing you here! If I remember correctly, the last time you were here, you swore you wouldn't set foot in here ever again" Blaise greeted as he took a seat between the two, completely ignoring Draco who was now shooting him murderous glares.
"Ah! What can I say? The two lovebirds were making me sick" she exclaimed dramatically and Draco couldn't help but chuckle, though he didn't understand who she was talking about.
"Daph and Theo still together?" Blaise asked, and Draco knew it was for his benefit. Apparently, he hadn't been keeping up with the gossip.
"Hey! You're talking about one of my successful couples! Of course they are together. Now if only you'd let me set you up…"
"No thanks, deary. I'm quite happy with my playboy ways"
"Ha! As if I haven't heard that before! Let's just hope she isn't taken by the time you come to your senses"
Seeing Draco's befuddled expression, Blaise said, "Astoria's what you'd call the professional matchmaker"
"You flatter me, Blaise. I just like seeing people happy and what better way than to set them up with their other halves?" she exclaimed, turning to Draco for support.
"Of course!" Blaise snorted before Draco could reply. Shooting him a withering glance, Astoria went to get herself another drink. Noticing that Blaise hadn't left the table once since her arrival, Draco asked him about it.
"Oh, that! it's just that…god, I'm going to sound horribly un-Slytherin-ish! We, Daph, me and Theo, feel protective of her. She's just too innocent and well meaning to see when someone has the…eh, not so good intentions" Blaise replied, and Draco thought there was a faint flush to his cheeks.
"She seems independent enough. A bit outgoing but I don't see the need for you to worry so much" Draco remarked, noticing Blaise's concerned expression while watching her talk animatedly with the barman. She was making rapid gestures with her hand and Draco couldn't help smile at her enthusiasm.
"You too!" Blaise exclaimed suddenly, and Draco was jolted from his less than discrete staring.
"What is it?" he asked, clearly puzzled.
"Don't be mad but, we had a bet going" he confessed in a whisper, though no one was near enough to listen.
"About me" Draco stated. There was no other reason for Blaise to sport that sheepish look.
"Well, you see how Astoria charms her way through people? Yeah, we had a bet that she couldn't fascinate you with her manners. Seems like I over estimated you"
"You mean to say I'm attracted to her?"
"You aren't?" Draco didn't have an answer for that so he concentrated on the swirling depths of his drink. Astoria returned with two glasses in her hand and handed one to Draco. He looked up from his own glass, staring at the fiery liquid inside.
"Firewhiskey?" he inquired and she nodded her head fervently, smiling.
"One glass of firewhiskey killed no one" was all she said before she took a sip. Draco looked at it for a bit more before he downed it all at once.
"Wow!" Astoria exclaimed before smiling mischievously. "And you told me you didn't like it!"
"Never said I didn't. I just don't prefer it" Draco corrected her, before staring out the window. She was delving too much into his pathetic life and it was starting to get unsettling. Worser still, he was becoming used to her inquisitive looks and random questions. He was afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would actually begin to like her company. He stood up abruptly, muttering a hurried goodbye as he rounded to the exit.
"Draco?" her expectant voice stopped him and, against his better judgment, he turned back. She was now walking, no skipping to him, and her face was donning a hesitant smile. He raised an eyebrow in question, and she waited till she was near enough to whisper to him.
"Will I be seeing you again?" she asked almost timidly, and Draco wondered what had brought this on.
"I suppose I'll be seeing you around Blaise and…"
"No, what I meant was…." She left the sentence hanging but Draco was all too aware of the rest of it.
He knew it would only bring about a second round of problems in his life; he knew certainly that she wasn't just someone he could brush off if he wished and he knew very well that there'd be hell to pay if something went wrong. But he found himself smiling.
"Sure. If you can endure much more of my gloomy state" he said as he began to leave.
"I'll hold you to that" her voice was the last thing he heard as he shut the door to the restaurant.
"Draco!Draco!"
"Oh, sorry! What is it Tori?" Draco asked as he jumped to his feet.
"Nothing! Don't panic. Blaise and Pansy'll be here soon and I didn't want to give them anymore reason to make fun of you" Astoria smiled as she went to little Scorpius, who was now playing with his toy broomstick in the middle of the garden.
Sensing his stare, Scorpius looked at him and smiled brightly. He lifted his hands to call him and Draco immediately stood up to go to him. Astoria looked up to him as he neared them and he couldn't help but feel a burst of pride when he saw them.
His eyes never strayed from Astoria as he kneeled down to join his son. Son, the very word made him grin uncharacteristically. Even after these many years, he hadn't gotten used to the fact that he had people whom he could honestly say he loved. And he did not deserve them at all.
More than any other person, he was convinced that he wasn't the one for Astoria. He knew she heartily disagreed, and it had been the cause for much of their arguments in the earlier stages of their relationship. Over time, he had learnt to keep his protests to himself. Because he knew what she'd say.
"You're not the one for me; neither am I the one for you. But we, were made for each other"
A/n: Review!