Better late than never? Sorry I couldn't post in a while. Got caught up, but nevermind that. Now I am all yours, or I mean the fic's.
This is going to be a twisted tale of our protagonist, a glance at a day of his life. This is where the story begins, for everyone. I hope you guys enjoy it.
Dont forget to review because trust me, it's the most encouraging thing. Review if it hurts, makes you happy or fails to get into your expectations, tell me where I go wrong, but please comment. Thanks guys for being there it means a lot.
8th May 1998.
A week had passed, gossips hadn't ended. There was a big question mark on the pure bloods. The pure blooded wizards on the 'right side' blamed families like The Malfoys, for this. The boast look was long faded off Lucius Malfoy's face. He rarely left the house, and no one could make him talk without being shouted at. From a very young age, Draco was taught that he was special: firstly as a wizard, secondly as a pure-blood, and thirdly as Malfoy, whose family name alone commanded respect.
That was not how Draco believed it to be, at least when he was a young child with personal thoughts. He never really anticipated then that he would truly grow into this "Malfoy accepted" character. He didn't know he would actually enjoy picking on his school friends, enjoy the burning hatred for him that pounded through their veins. As much the eight year old Draco would hate to hear, he was the child his father made, the boy who wanted to see pain and defeat in the eyes of the school's hero.
Draco had done things in his life some he regretted and some he didn't, but he was to live on his own terms, nobody was going to tell him how he had to live his life, not anymore.
Draco grabbed a T-shirt from the cupboard and slipped into it, he hated that colour, so flashy, but he couldn't help it, it was Pansy's favorite shade. He overdid a grey jacket with big pockets, and pulled on the hood before he stepped out of the house.
Thirty two minutes he had managed to get late, that was the most he could handle the: "Drake where are you? GET HERE RIGHT NOW!" and "If you do not get your ass down here, I am going to drag the party to your Manor!" letters. He was sure if he ignored or delayed any more of Pansy; she would start sending triple the volume howlers and might as well bring up the party to the Manor.
No way! Draco wished to go invisible; he couldn't help but think about the invisibility cloak that Potter possessed: his family heirloom, that lucky... He curled up his tongue in an attempt to keep his emotions in and reminded himself to finally stop hating them. It was difficult to change his lifelong feelings for someone, but not impossible.
Draco knew he could easily apparate to her party and reach the venue in seconds, but he couldn't make himself do it. He hardly used magic for such tasks, not that he was ashamed of being a wizard, he loved it, but he didn't like the idea of using magic for every second activity in daily life. Thankfully Pansy knew that and must have estimated a few minutes gap after his last message saying he left house.
Draco sighed into the dusky evening, letting his hands deeper into his pockets and taking careful steps, enjoying every moment he got with himself. He paused at the crossroad; thinking for a few seconds, he let in his hunch to choose: the longer route or the faster one. Obviously he strolled on the route that would give him enough time to think before he could make his way to the party. He needed to sort things out and prepare for the worst. It wasn't like he didn't see it coming but he just wished he had more time.
"Oh my God Draco, you have grown into a man, mm" she whispered, clinging on his arms, feeling on his muscles. Draco half smirked half smiled pulling her into a hug. Viola Richmond. He remembered her from fifth year of his school; when she was found to have grown an interest in him. Well, he also remembered their nights later in the year at her place, during the summer break, when Draco became the boy she lost herself to. But that was a long time ago, things changed; she got over him, he hoped; while he was never really into her, but that was a secret.
Draco was the school stud, everyone knew that, say whatever, and most girls must have had a baby crush or liking for him at least once in those seven years.
Viola took his hand and pushed through the crowd and reached some place he anticipated to be the centre of the dance floor. She guided his hands to her waist while she had already begun swaying with the music. Viola probably noticed the discomfort on his face as if he was anxious, so she slowly pulled him to herself and whispered in his ears, "Hey honey, I believe I do have this little bit of right on you, that I can have this dance with you. Considering the fact that you were the first guy I banged and I lost my cherry to your heartless self." Draco chuckled. He looked at her, looking back to his days at school and shook his head in disbelief, "Viola, sweety you are never going to change are you?" She grinned and continued swaying. Draco loved dancing like this, even though he wished he had much warmer hands around his shoulder, of the girl he desires. He was at least out of his regular tension minds if that's what mattered. But not for long, through the crowd he could feel her, like he could sense her presence from far, he tensed and broke off dancing. Poor Viola almost jerked back to the Earth, getting her head off his chest. Draco smiled apologetically and turned around, walking towards the trouble before she could reach him.
"Drake! You finally made it. I was about to send you another owl. Thank Goodness you are here." Pansy pulled him into an undesirable and awkward hug.
"I was around, I got caught up with.." he paused, covered it up by clearing his throat. But he paused. That never happened with Pansy, she was always an easy one to talk to. Perhaps it's another effect of the current turn of events. "With Viola. Sorry." He said. She waved it off, Pansy was happier than usual. Very cheerful, Draco loved it when someone was happy like that like that, maybe because he never gets an opportunity to be. But he hated it right now. He didn't like why she was happy. How much ever time he took, or however much he delayed it, he couldn't put it off or convince himself. He knew he wasn't ready but he also knew he didn't have much of a choice. This decision was for the best.
He picked up an iced whiskey from the table and drank it. Pansy excused herself to talk to her friends and Draco seized the perfect moment to pick up an empty corner to hide away. Generally he would love to be in the centre of the party with all the attention, the limelight of the night. But today was different he could use all the time he got alone.
He took another glass from the table, this one neat, and reached to the corner of the room. There he found a seat just suiting his mood. There were people everywhere, dancing, drinking, kissing, giggling, arguing and some too desperate to wait, looking for a room. Draco had experienced too many parties, to not know anything about them. What sort of people come, who to talk to, who to ignore, he even knew who is worth wasting time upon, who is not.
He looked around, at a face to another, until he was compelled to stop at one. She was dressed in white, like an angel. Her eyes were glistening like one too. Her lips, the perfect soft and pink touched each other and fell apart as she talked to her friends. The girl he desires but he cannot have.
"Drake" a sharp whisper came in, interrupting his thoughts. Pansy! "Draco, come on, we need to do it now. Everyone has hopefully arrived. Come on honey, move." She was so excited and happy. But Draco had to ask: "Panz, baby what is the Potter boy doing here? You invited them?" he pointed at Potter and his friends.
Pansy nodded, "I had to." She said wrinkling her nose. "I called all the students from our year so I had to call their hero, one of the rules you should look at: never not invite the people's favorite if you don't want your party to fail due to an excessive absence rate." Draco now was more uncomfortable with his decision than ever before.
"Shall we?" she asked, probably just for formality because she didn't wait for a reply, if she had she would have noticed the unsure look on his face. He had no choice but to follow her.
Pansy walked up to the stage with Draco at her heels, an unusual sight of Draco.
She picked up a glass of champagne and tinkled on it with her wand, alerting the whole room. She instantly caught everyone's attention, his desire girl's too, Draco noticed. "Ahem, welcome everyone. I am so glad to have you all here. It's such an honor." Weasley rolled his eyes and Potter laughed silently. Draco realized he had to stop noticing them so much. "You all must be wondering why throw this party so soon, well guys we have news." Unfortunately enough, almost everyone in the room noticed Pansy had referred to them as 'we', or maybe Draco was over thinking it. "Draco proposed to me last night," no, I was forced to, he thought to himself. The hooting had already begun "and we got engaged!" She squeaked. Too happy and jumpy to control herself, she drank the glass she was clenching. Then she snatched Draco's hand and lifted it with hers showing her ring to the crowd. There were obviously awes from the crowd because it was an expensive and attractive one. Draco fake grinned and nodded at the congratulations. He couldn't help but glance repeatedly at where she sat, he could swear he had seen her gasp.
Staring at the ceiling, Draco wondered, so he had done it. He had told the world that he was engaged and was no more the women's guy: he was booked. But that was not what bothered him, he didn't want this marriage. Not that he didn't like Pansy or something, he did; she was a nice girl, great friend. But he knew she was a compromise, and he didn't want that for her. Although she was totally into him, although she acted like she was the queen of the world, since the day their parents had fixed the marriage (the day after the battle). There were various reasons of the marriage. One of them being: continuing the bloodline of Pure Bloods. And he gets it, but just could not convince his heart. But obviously just for a bloody bloodline, Draco was not giving up his love; it was for his mother too and somewhere unintentionally, his father. His mother had literally blackmailed him, emotional one, that's the worst kind.
He knew he had only one way, he had to sleep it off.
