It had been a couple of weeks since Draco had acknowledged the significance about the Quills and started a correspondence with his mysterious soul mate. So far they had kept the promise about keeping their identities a secret, and this fact only made Draco even more curious and exited about the person.

His days at the Manor weren't spend in boredom anymore. Everyday he would go to his new sanctuary in Abraxas Malfoys secret room and read and of course write to his soul mate. They had discussed everything about each other, keeping out the obvious facts that would give them away.

Draco found that it was like being given a new chance. He wasn't Draco Malfoy, Lord of the Malfoy family and Death Eater son when he wrote, he was simply just Draco, though this person didn't know the name, they knew him as a person. This feeling was liberating and Draco loved it.

He knew that if it was some pureblood girl, they would go nuts if they found out it was Draco Malfoy on the other end, only because he was a rich bachelor. This thought made him sick. He had since he was a small boy dreamed of marrying out of love and live happily ever after. He had in secret read a lot of Muggle fairytales and Muggle literature such as Jane Austen and dreamed of that special love.

The discovery of The Quill of Amor made this a possibility. Draco was thrilled. Of course this was only a possibility as long as his counterpart didn't found out about his true identity. Luckily the other person had agreed to this, why though, he didn't know.

Of course there was a big problem. His parents would never agree with this, and especially not his mother. She was constantly trying to set him up with a pureblood girl who was fit to be the new Lady Malfoy, and able to carry on the Malfoy line. To his great displeasure she was now pestering him about Pansy Parkinson. The thought about marrying that girl almost made him AK himself. Of course his mother hadn't realized that Draco hated her with a passion. And it really shouldn't have surprised him that she therefore had invited the Parkinson's to dinner that evening. But the fact was that she had.

Ugh, just great!

"Draco have you dressed yet?" his mothers voices sounded from the door.

"I'll be finished in a minute Mother" he reluctantly answered.

"Good, just hurry up, the Parkinson's will be here in half an hour and I expect you to be there to welcome them."

"Yes Mother"

He silently cursed the whole situation. He wouldn't be able to get out of it that much was sure. Unfortunately Mr. Parkinson was an important business associate to the Malfoy family, and they couldn't afford to lose his cooperation. His mother had reminded him of that fact every time he had rejected the idea of marrying Pansy. Of course Pansy was very pleased with the idea of being the new Lady Malfoy and had been since their fifth year at Hogwarts.

For now he just had to endure the evening, he would figure out how to get out of the situation another time. Reluctantly he went down to join his mother in the Entrance Hall to welcome their guests.

Halfway through dinner he got the now familiar nagging feeling in the back of his mind which he now knew was his soul mate trying to contact him. His hand itched to write as well. Although he couldn't. He tried to concentrate on the conversation going on at the table in stead. Unfortunately his brief lack of attention had made him miss the question directed to him by Mrs. Parkinson and they now all looked at him waiting for an answer.

Fuck, what did she ask?

Draco schooled his features to look innocent.

"Excuse me Mrs. Parkinson, I didn't quite hear your question." He put on his most charming smile to compensate for his lack of attention, while silently once again cursing the situation. It seemed to have worked, because the next moment Mrs. Parkinson flashed her eyelashes and blushed. Draco could almost taste the bile in the back of his throat.

"Your Mother tells me you made Head Boy this year at Hogwarts?" she said again.

"Yes I got a letter from the Headmaster last week telling me about my new responsibilities."

Pansy beamed at this.

"I told you Mother, Draco is the obvious candidate for the post. He really is the smartest guy in our year." She send him a flirtatious smile.

Draco nodded his thanks and started eating again to avoid answering more questions. Obviously Pansy wasn't too happy about this, because the next moment he felt her foot caressing his leg under the table.

His shock almost made him choke on his food. As she kept caressing his leg a new piercing feeling started gnawing in the back of his head, like the bond between him and his soul mate was very unhappy about another person touching him. He really did feel physically sick now.

Luckily Draco managed to endure the rest of the evening without too many questions being asked; his mother though had looked funnily at him the more pale he got throughout dinner. The moment they were out the door he had almost sprinted up to his room to get away from his mothers inquiring eyes.

There was another reason why he was so eager to get back to his room though. He had been itching to write to his soul mate. The fact that Pansy had been touching him with her foot had only made this feeling stronger. He needed to focus on someone completely else.

When he got to his room he hurried over to his desk and removed all of his privacy spells surrounding The Quill. As he did this The Quill immediately started scripting a message in his new journal.

Has something happened to you? I've got this funny feeling that something is wrong with you…

Draco sighed. He didn't know how he could explain the situation without revealing anything about him.

Don't worry, it wasn't anything serious. I was just in an awkward situation.

He watched the ink sink into the parchment and slowly disappear from view. Meanwhile he felt the guilt sink in his stomach, on some level he felt that he was somehow cheating on his soul mate, but he couldn't share that.

Are you sure? I really have a bad feeling about this.

Draco hadn't felt sicker with himself than he did now. He had already let his soul mate down with participating in his mothers plans for him to find a spouse. And he hadn't even met this person yet.

I really can't tell you the whole story without revealing myself. All I can say is that my parents want to make an arranged marriage for me; I had to meet one of the possible matches this evening.

Oh, okay

Draco's heart sank.

I guess that's why I suddenly felt uncomfortable, or a bit jealous.

I'm sorry. If it helps, I really was uncomfortable with the situation as well. I don't want this. I kept feeling this ache in the back of my mind. It actually hurt physically when she touched me.

You're a guy???

Yes, I guess you are too from your reply?

Draco stared intensely at the journal, waiting for the reaction to this. He had wondered if his soul mate would be a guy or a girl, not as if it made any difference to him as he was bisexual. But he had still wondered. Now he knew, obviously it was a kept waiting for the never came.